Doulas would be eligible for Medicaid reimbursements under a bill heading for Utah House

SALT LAKE CITY — Doulas who help women and families during pregnancies could be eligible for reimbursement from Medicaid under a bill that’s made it through the Utah Senate.

Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, said using doulas for pre and postnatal care is becoming more popular across the nation and here in Utah.

“They (doulas) are kind of like your right hand in this process and… what we’re trying to do is to have them be able to be reimbursed for their services for Medicaid patients which is a large portion of our our moms that are delivering babies.”

Escamilla said doulas benefit families but could also benefit the state. 

“We will be saving money when you have doulas that are, you know, supporting the mom in their visits and training them. You usually see lower rates of low-weight birth rates, less Cesarean, you know, C-sections and better outcomes for moms.”

She said one area where there’s a great benefit is in breastfeeding success. Doulas can teach new mothers techniques to help babies latch.

“It depends on your experience, but some moms cannot, even if they’re trying, they don’t know how to help their baby latch,” Escamilla said. “We know that breastfeeding is critical and the milk that the moms produce is naturally more healthy than any formula. So breastfeeding success increases, I mean significantly, when you have someone with you training you and helping you.”

Escamilla also said a doula can decrease the risks that women face during pregnancy, like mortality and postpartum depression.

There’s also a financial benefit when women use doulas during and following their pregnancies, according to Escamilla.

She pointed to one national study of Medicaid beneficiaries that found that women using doulas saved more than $58 million because of fewer complications like c-sections and pre-term births.

With only a few days left in this legislative session, Escamilla admitted she’s a little worried about the timing of getting the bill through the Utah House of Representatives.

“Yeah, I mean timing is always critical and we’re going to start prioritizing bills and this has a fiscal node. So, fiscal noted bills have to go, you know, sooner because they have to be added to the… overall budget. So, yeah, I mean it has already had a committee here so it could also potentially just go to the floor.”

However, she noted that the bill has a good sponsor in the House, Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Salt Lake City.

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