New York’s new doula plan will cover services for anyone on Medicaid
More states are investing in the future of doula care. But relatively low reimbursement rates can often hinder doulas' participation in state programs.
NEW YORK — During the peak of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, Kendra Berger delivered her second child in the hospital. The experience was traumatic for Berger, a 35-year-old former nurse who lives in Holland, N.Y. She pushed when she wasn’t ready and her baby got stuck in the birthing canal. In the recovery room after birth, Berger started hemorrhaging and wound up needing a blood transfusion. And two weeks after birth, during her visit to the pediatrician with her newborn, she learned her baby’s clavicle had been broken during the delivery.
A few years later, Berger wanted to try for a third child — but given her past experience, she was grappling with fear about giving birth again. Thankfully, she was able to find a doula in her area, Ashley Petit, who accepts Medicaid and specializes in techniques to help patients control their breathing and manage pain during the birthing process.
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