Sylvia Patience, Author

The percentage of births at home in the U.S., while still under 1%, increased significantly from 2004 to 2008. See this article. Vermont had the second highest rate of home births after Montana.
And also in the news this week, Vermont has just passed a law to require insurers to pay for home births attended by licensed midwives. This is an important development. It will decrease health care costs because in a home birth, there is no facility fee, making the birth less expensive. And it’s good news for families who want a home birth but just can’t afford it if their insurance won’t cover it.