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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Rep. Jamie Johnson, D-Kansas City, will present a bill to the House Healthcare Reform Committee Tuesday that would allow doula services to receive reimbursement from health insurance providers.
House Bill 1446 would empower the Department of Health and Senior Services to create a registration process with the advice of stakeholders and experts that would allow doulas to be registered with the state so their clients can more affordably access their services.
“We know that when expectant mothers utilize doulas, it leads to demonstrably better health outcomes for both mother and baby,” Johnson said, “In a state with a maternal mortality rate roughly 25 percent higher than the national average, we need every tool we can to safeguard Missouri mothers and save lives.”
Doulas can play an important role before, during, and after the birthing process, offering much-needed emotional support, educating expectant families about non-medicinal pain management and natural birth progression. Doulas interpret medical jargon, fostering a decision-making environment grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the situation. While doulas do not explicitly deliver babies, a 2017 study from the World Health Organization found that doulas can lead to shorter labor, reduced need for cesarian sections and pain medications and better mental health outlooks in the child birth experience.
Johnson sees her bill as a complimentary piece of legislation to last year’s bill to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum care to a full year after birth, which was passed by the Missouri General Assembly with broad bipartisan support and signed by the governor.
“This bill has the same goal as last year’s Senate Bill 106, and I would love to see it receive the same level of support,” Johnson said. “We all know we must do more to protect Missouri mothers, and increasing access to doula services will do just that.”
