Doula Providers

Doulas provide personal support to individuals and 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 for and after miscarriage and abortion.

Standing Recommendation

As a preventive benefit, doula services require a written recommendation from a physician or other licensed practitioner of the healing arts. To increase access to services, DHCS Medical Director, Karen Mark, MD, issued a standing recommendation for the initial set of doula services for any Medi-Cal member who is pregnant or was pregnant within the past year.

The standing recommendation authorizes the following doula services:

One initial visit.
Up to eight additional visits that may be provided in any combination of prenatal and postpartum visits.
Support during labor and delivery (including labor and delivery resulting in a stillbirth), abortion or miscarriage.
Up to two extended three-hour postpartum visits after the end of a pregnancy.

If a Medi-Cal member has used all of the visits for the standing recommendation, the member would need an additional recommendation from a physician or other licensed practitioner of the healing arts acting to receive up to nine additional postpartum visits. This recommendation can be noted in the member's medical record by the recommending licensed provider, or a member can ask a licensed provider to complete the DHCS Medi-Cal Doula Services Recommendation form for Postpartum Visits and give the signed form to the doula. The standing recommendation from DHCS cannot be used for additional postpartum visits. For more information regarding recommendations, please see the Frequently Asked Questions below.

How to Become a Medi-Cal Doula Provider

Doulas who meet the qualifications listed in the Medi-Cal Provider Manual: Doula Services may enroll through the Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE) portal to submit their Medi-Cal application. For additional information on the requirements to become a Doula Medi-Cal Provider, please see the Medi-Cal Doula Provider Enrollment Checklist ,

Doulas interested serving Medi-Cal managed care plan (MCP) members will also need to enter into contracts with the member's Medi-Cal MCP plan. Doulas must enter contracts with each Medi-Cal MCP in their geographical area in order to serve Medi-Cal members who receive services through each Medi-Cal MCP and to receive reimbursement for doula services provided to Medi-Cal MCP members.

Doula Directory

The Doula Directory (PDF available) lists Medi-Cal enrolled doulas by county who opted to be included in the directory. It includes their specialties, language, ethnicity, contact information, and other information that doulas shared with DHCS for the directory. DHCS sends out an email with a survey via SurveyMonkey twice a month to new doulas so this information can be added to the directory. Medi-Cal approved doulas who did not receive the email for the survey within 30 days of their application may email DoulaBenefits@dhcs.ca.gov and asked to be included in the directory.

The Department has enrolled 735 individual providers as of May 16, 2025.

Managed Care Delivery System

To assist doulas with contracting and onboarding with managed care plans (MCP), submitting claims and receiving payment, please visit the MCP point of contact list for doulas. MCP points of contact for general information can be found at Medi-Cal Managed Care Health Plan Directory. Please also see additional information in the Frequently Asked Questions for Doulas – Managed Care Plans.