Embracing doula care: A new benefit for Bay Area Medi-Cal members 

As part of the Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS) ongoing commitment to engaging in innovative work to improve the maternal health care landscape, inclusive of offering a comprehensive suite of services and benefits aimed at promoting health equity and addressing disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes, Medi-Cal now covers doula services.& This new and important benefit, added by DHCS in January 2023, helps to ensure that birthing individuals have additional options to receive physical, emotional, and nonmedical support, prevent perinatal complications, and improve health outcomes for birthing individuals and their infants.& What Are Doula Services?& Doula services include personal support to birthing individuals and their families throughout pregnancy and one year postpartum. This includes emotional and physical support provided during pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postpartum period, as well as support during miscarriage and abortion.& & Services include guidance; health navigation; evidence-based education for prenatal, postpartum, childbirth, and newborn/infant care; lactation support; development of a birth plan; and, if appropriate, connecting birthing individuals to community-based resources (e.g., breastfeeding classes or maternal support groups) or other providers.& & & Addressing Health Equity & Maternal Health Disparities& Doula services may be especially important for Black birthing individuals, who face disproportionately...