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Doulas Fight Medicaid Hurdles for New Moms
11 Aug
Summary
- Medicaid doula care faces administrative burdens.
- Low reimbursement rates deter doulas from participation.
- Virginia's Medicaid doula coverage shows low utilization.
Doula Taja Iglesias aims to improve perinatal care access for Medicaid recipients, addressing gaps she experienced personally. Virginia began reimbursing doulas through Medicaid in 2022, a step aimed at reducing the state's high maternal mortality rates.
Despite this policy, doulas report significant administrative burdens and low reimbursement, leading to limited participation in the Medicaid program. This has resulted in a scarcity of doulas accepting Medicaid in areas like Northern Virginia.
Studies indicate that fewer than 1% of Medicaid births in Virginia have utilized doula services since the policy's inception. This low utilization stems from the mismatch between the number of eligible parents and the available doulas, as well as the complex certification process.
Virginia's Medicaid program reimburses doulas $859 per pregnancy, a rate considered insufficient by many, especially compared to private-pay services ranging from $1,200 to $3,000. This financial disparity, coupled with slow reimbursement, discourages doulas from joining the program.
