News & Articles

Medi-Cal Doula Coverage In The News

Navigating an Evolving Medi-Cal Landscape: Administrative and Fiscal Support for Doulas

Protecting the Perinatal Population: How California’s Doulas Can Respond to Toxic Stress

Rooted in Community: A Movement to Organize California Doulas

California Pushes To Raise Medi-Cal Doula Benefit Awareness

What Is a Doula? — Policy at a Glance
Why California Needs Doula Care to Improve Maternal Health and Birth Equity

Private Insurance Coverage of Doula Care: Spring 2025 State of the States

What You Should Know: California Has Added Doula Services to Medi-Cal Coverage

Where's the money?

‘Medi-Cal is the worst thing I've ever done’: Doulas say state Medicaid program owes them thousands of dollars

California is Boosting Doula Pay. Will It Bring More Support for Families?

State Medicaid Approaches to Doula Service Benefits

Doulas Face Challenges With New Medi-Cal Benefit

Though doulas are now covered by Medi-Cal, barriers exist

New Doula Benefit ‘Life-Changing’ for California Mom

Doulas Are Now Covered By Medi-Cal. And Riverside County Is Leading The Way

ARTICLE: partnering with community doulas to improve maternal and infant equity health in California

by Community Doula Research Project

Washington Post/The Lily series on Medicaid coverage of doula care, The State of Doula Care noting in particular:

Oregon & Minnesota
- specifically the very low uptake on benefits in those states, due in part to very low reimbursement rates. Oregon since 2016 has "paid doulas less than $37,000 for supporting Medicaid clients through prenatal and postpartum visits and approximately 204 births," (19,000 people/year give birth on Medicaid in Oregon), and Minnesota since 2014 has "paid doulas less than $354,000 for supporting Medicaid clients through prenatal and postpartum visits and more than 850 births" (26,000 people/year give birth on Medicaid in Minnesota).

Doulas To California: Pay Up If You Want Healthier Pregnancies Statewide

Publication from Ancient Song Doula Services, Village Birth International, and Every Mother Counts in New York: Advancing Birth Justice: Community-Based Doula Models as a Standard of Care for Ending Racial Disparities.

Terrific for understanding the importance of community-based doula models and also clear explanation about the importance of sustainable reimbursement rates. Section on reimbursement starts on p. 17.

Doula Implementation Stakeholder Workgroup

The Final Doula Implementation Stakeholder Workgroup Meeting took place May 2025. See below for information, notes, slides and updates provided in the meetings

The Doula Implementation Workgroup is required by Senate Bill (SB) 65, which added section 14132.24 to the Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC). The workgroup will address the following:

Ensuring that doula services are available to Medi-Cal members who are eligible for and want doula services.
Minimizing barriers and delays in payments to a Medi-Cal doula or in reimbursement to Medi-Cal recipients for doula services.
Making recommendations for outreach efforts so that all Medi-Cal members who are eligible for services are aware of the option to use doula services.
Helping to inform DHCS' report to the Legislature with data on Medi-Cal members using doula services and recommendations to reduce any identified barriers to doula services.

Stakeholders who are part of the Doula Implementation Workgroup may speak during public stakeholder meetings. All members of the public are welcome to listen to meetings as attendees, comment using the chat function during meetings, and submit written comments.

Stakeholders may send written comments via email to DoulaBenefit@dhcs.ca.gov.