Does Insurance Cover Doula Services?

Many parents are curious if doula services are covered by their insurance. The short answer is no. However there are some different things to be aware of…

Some states offer Medicaid coverage of doulas, but it’s not what it seems.

There are a couple states working on Medicaid expansion including doulas. While this sounds like a good idea in theory, in practice it will not work out so well. They are trying to pay the doulas a shockingly low rate (like $100-300) and requiring them to provide not only prenatal and birth support, but multiple postpartum support visits as well. This level of in-home support that the doula must travel to provide hours of, would easily add up to over $1200 depending on the geographical area and level of experience. With childcare, gas, and other overhead expenses, the doula would actually end up having to pay out of pocket for the privilege of providing services, not earning any income to support her family. This disproportionately cuts out earning opportunities for low-income women who would like to support themselves with a career that they are passionate about. The women who are able to get a doula via Medicaid, are not able to get a high quality, experienced, certified doula who can provide serious assistance because career doulas are unable to accept a poverty wage. Nothing like this is happening, or slated to happen, in Kansas to my knowledge. I am certainly open to working with insurance companies if they want to pay my staff enough to keep their lights and heat on.

2. Insurance Reimbursement Has Happened, But Don’t Hold Your Breath

Occasionally, someone has success with getting at least partially reimbursed by their insurance company for doula services. After the birth, some parents are writing a letter to their insurance company detailing the costs saved by hiring a doula. For example, if you had a vaginal birth instead of a Cesarean, or did not have an epidural, and you attribute these outcomes to having had doula support, you can actually put a dollar amount that we saved them. Some of the info included with the letter might be our doula certification info, Tax ID number, and the receipt for services. I personally would at least try this method regardless, as it can’t hurt anything to try - but I would not count on receiving reimbursement. Consumer demand is the best way to make changes in any industry, including maternity care.

I am getting a lot of emails about doula NPI numbers and CPT codes. There are blogs and such that occasionally go around stating that you can be covered by insurance if your doula gets an NPI number and CPT codes. While there are codes in existence which have the word “doula” in them, our concern is that these are more commonly used for midwifery and the whole system does explicitly say that these are for healthcare providers and medical services - which we are emphatically NOT. We want to stay away from anything which could be construed as insurance fraud and practicing medicine without a license. According to an insurance billing professional I know, past claims are being “flagged” for involving practitioners who are not licensed by the state. (Doula is a non-licensed, non-regulated profession)

3. Christian Healthcare Sharing Services DO Cover Doulas

Christian healthcare sharing services such as Samaritan Ministries and similar, pay $500 of your birth or postpartum doula costs. We provide an itemized receipt for you to send in and you get reimbursed.

4. Other Ways to Pay for Doula Services

We have a number of different options for you if it is hard to make room in the budget for the full amount of doula services up front. We truly desire to work with everyone who wants support for their pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.

We are approved providers accepting HSA and Flex payments. We can also accept partial HSA payment and partial cash or credit card payment, just let us know how to invoice you.
Payment plans. We are happy to split your balance up into a monthly payment. If you contact us earlier in your pregnancy, this can make your monthly payment very affordable!
Baby registry option. We can set up your own special webpage link for your friends and family to help contribute to your doula fund. You receive 100% of the contributions.
Consider our childbirth class or consultation if the cost of a doula is truly not workable for you. The 3-hour class teaches you and your partner a great deal of information about managing labor and delivery, while the 45-minute consultation can provide some laser detail on your birth plan and birthing location.