Missouri Medicaid will cover cost of doula services under new rule

In an effort to address Missouri’s deplorable maternal mortality rates, the state issued an emergency rule Monday allowing doulas to be reimbursed through Medicaid for the next six months. 

Doulas — who offer support for families during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum, but do not deliver babies — have been lifted up as one solution to improving maternal and infant health outcomes, especially among low-income families.

Missouri ranked among the bottom half of states for maternal deaths between 2018 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read more from Missouri Independent.