Doula Services as a Medi-Cal Benefit
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) added doula services as a covered benefit on January 1, 2023. Doula services are available in fee-for-service and through managed care plans (MCPs). Services include 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.
Find information about what services doula provide, who may receive doula services, a directory of doulas enrolled in Medi-Cal, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Find information about what doula services Medi-Cal covers, help enrolling as a provider, how to contact a managed care plan, how to submit a claim for payment, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Senate Bill 65 (Skinner, Chapter 449, Statutes of 2021) required DHCS to establish a Doula Implementation Stakeholder Workgroup and publish a report by July 1, 2025. The Doula Benefit Implementation Report is now available and includes quantitative and qualitative data on doula service utilization and recommendations on outreach efforts and reducing barriers to services. Information about previous stakeholder meetings can be found on the Doula Implementation Stakeholder Workgroup webpage.
