ABSTRACTHealth care costs are a major issue in the health care system today. One suggested method of containing costs is the efficient use of presently available facilities and health care personnel. Categories of hospital charges included in a normal hospital maternity stay are described. The mean hospital bill for CNM patients was $114 less than the mean hospital bill for the physician provider patients. These findings may indicate that the use of CNMs as primary care providers could reduce hospital maternity costs while meeting the consumer demand for safe, satisfying, and economical care.