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Minnesota was first: Where doulas are covered by Medicaid

A U.S. map shows state efforts to expand Medicaid coverage of doulas, as of March 2026. 28 states and D.C. are actively reimbursing doula care. 13 states have taken adjacent actions. Six states have implementations in process and three have either failed to pass legislation or have not taken action.

State efforts to expand Medicaid coverage of doulas

Adapted from National Health Law Program; Map: Axios Visuals

More Minnesotans are calling in death doulas

New dads can experience depression, too

Doulas go mainstream

Wellness Brief

Doula care is now more mainstream — embraced by major insurers and increasingly seen as a standard part of pregnancy rather than a niche choice.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Earlier research" data-vars-click-url="https://www.sph.umn.edu/news/study-shows-doula-care-is-cost-effective-associated-with-reduction-in-preterm-and-cesarean-births/" data-vars-content-id="83b7ed11-c2c1-484c-9697-9864ee1665c9" data-vars-headline="Doulas go mainstream" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.sph.umn.edu/news/study-shows-doula-care-is-cost-effective-associated-with-reduction-in-preterm-and-cesarean-births/" target="_blank">Earlier research</a> from the Minnesota School of Public health linked doula support to lower cesarean rates and fewer preterm births, while a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="newer review" data-vars-click-url="https://jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.8416&amp;utm_campaign=articlePDF%26utm_medium=articlePDFlink%26utm_source=articlePDF%26utm_content=jamanetworkopen.2026.8416" data-vars-content-id="83b7ed11-c2c1-484c-9697-9864ee1665c9" data-vars-headline="Doulas go mainstream" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.8416&amp;utm_campaign=articlePDF%26utm_medium=articlePDFlink%26utm_source=articlePDF%26utm_content=jamanetworkopen.2026.8416" target="_blank">newer review</a> of clinical and pilot trials found the strongest evidence around anxiety, breastfeeding initiation and postpartum follow-up.

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