The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

Medical Necessity for Warm Water Immersion Tub

The following explanation of medical need, courtesy of Birth & Beyond, Seattle, WA, is provided in order to expedite insurance coverage for the rental of a portable warm water immersion tub.

CPT CODE        E1399
Goods provide    Portable warm water immersion tub
Diagnosis            The mother requires assistance with pain management during labor

Pain management during the birthing process costs the healthcare system between $700.00-$1500.00 per patient.  Warm water immersion provides an atmosphere of relaxation and buoyancy that has proven to be an effective method of reducing the need for medical intervention.  Here are some compelling reasons to invest in warm water immersion through reimbursement of the portable tub.

• Blood pressure can be reduced within minutes by immersion in warm water.  (Rosenthal M. - Water immersion in labor and birth.  Female Patient 1991; 16:35-47)
• Warm water immersion has been shown to decrease edema and increase diuresis (Katz V., Ryder R., Cefalo R., Carmichael W., Goolsby R. A comparison of bedrest and immersion for treating the edema of pregnancy.  (Odent M. Birth Reborn New York: Pantheon Books, 1984:45-6)
• Reports reveal that when women float and move freely in a birth pool, their need is reduced for drugs to stimulate uterine activity and for pain relief (and hence the risks of anesthesia); they are less likely to have a bad tear or episiotomy, the rates of intact perinaeum are increased and fewer forceps deliveries and cesarean sections are performed.  (Kitzinger S., Letter from England: Is waterbirth dangerous.  Birth 1995 22:3 172-3)

Thank you.