There's a renewed push in Congress for Medicaid to cover doulas and midwives
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, both Democrats, introduced legislation last week that would allow Medicaid coverage of doulas and midwives. The bill, called the Mamas First Act, aims to “improve access to care before, during, and after pregnancy to under-served and under-resourced communities” as an OB-GYN deficit looms and the high rates of pregnancy-related deaths persist.
The nonprofit March of Dimes in 2020 classified 1,119 counties in the U.S. as pregnancy care deserts, lacking a hospital or birth center that either offers obstetric care or has an obstetric provider. More than a quarter of Native-American babies and 16 percent of Black babies were born in areas with limited or no access to pregnancy care services, it found. The ongoing loss of obstetric providers, in particular, has impacted counties’ access to care.
Even as parts of the United States, particularly rural areas, grapple with a current lack of access to pregnancy care, the Department of Health and Human Services projects 3,360 fewer OB-GYNs will be in the workforce by 2030 than there were in 2018. Simultaneously, 3,120 more certified nursing midwives will be in the workforce by 2030 than in 2018.
If enacted, the Mamas First Act would amend Title XIX of the Social Security Act to add “services and care, including prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care, that is provided in a culturally congruent manner by doulas, midwives, and tribal midwives” to the list of services eligible for reimbursement through Medicaid.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/05/13/theres-a-renewed-push-in-congress-for-medicaid-to-cover-doulas-and-midwives/
A doula (/ˈduːlə/; from Ancient Greek ??ύ?? 'female slave'; Greek pronunciation: [ˈðula]) is a trained professional who provides expert guidance for the service of others and who supports another person (the doula's client) through a significant health-related experience, such as childbirth, miscarriage, induced abortion or stillbirth, as well as non-reproductive experiences such as dying. A doula might also provide support to the client's partner, family, and friends.
The doula's goal and role is to help the client feel safe and comfortable, complementing the role of the healthcare professionals who provide the client's medical care. Unlike a physician, midwife, or nurse, a doula cannot administer medication or other medical treatment or give medical advice.[ An individual might need to complete training to work as a doula, although training and certification processes vary throughout the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doula
First time I've ever heard the word.
= new reply since forum marked as read
