State Medicaid Approaches to Doula Service Benefits

Maternal mortality rates continue to increase in the United States, with significant racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in birth outcomes. States are using a variety of approaches to provide doula services within their Medicaid programs to address inequities. Doulas provide continuous physical, emotional, and information support to people before, during, and shortly after childbirth. Current evidence suggests that pregnant…

Case Studies: How Tennessee and California Medicaid Programs Promote Access to Postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraception

Increasing women’s access to postpartum birth control has the potential to increase the health and well-being of women and their families, and immediate postpartum birth control can lead to a decrease in unplanned pregnancies, increased intervals between pregnancies, and a reduction in neonatal abstinence syndrome births (from drug exposure in the womb). Tennessee and California…

National Academy for State Health Policy Map of State’s Efforts to Extend Medicaid Coverage to Postpartum Women

Extending Medicaid coverage to postpartum women beyond 60 days is emerging as a key state strategy to address the maternal mortality crisis. This interactive map and chart summarize proposed and approved legislation since 2018, Medicaid waivers, financial estimates, and other initiatives designed to extend coverage during the postpartum period.