Amber Edmunds, a doula, mother of three and director of civic engagement at MAYA, a nonprofit serving pregnant, postpartum and incarcerated people. (Photo by Alexis Wary/PublicSource)
House lawmakers across both aisles backed the bill, citing research showing doulas improve outcomes for both parent and child.
by Peter Hall, PublicSource
An initiative to reduce maternal mortality among women of color in Pennsylvania advanced Monday with the unanimous passage of a bill to expand Medicaid to cover doula services and create an advisory board to ensure doulas are properly accredited.
The bill, introduced by state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Philadelphia, is part of a package of legislation on Black maternal health — nicknamed the “Momnibus” by supporters — that includes a requirement for Medicaid to pay for blood pressure monitors, which also passed Monday in the state House with a 164-37 vote.
Both bills will now go to the Republican-controlled state Senate for consideration, where a similar bill to require Medicaid reimbursement for doulas was introduced last year by Sen. Judith Schwank, D-Berks. It has yet to be considered since it was referred to the to Senate Health and Human Services Committee in January 2023.
Doulas are non-medical, trained professionals who provide emotional, informational and physical support before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth, such as helping with breast feeding and breathing techniques during labor.
Cephas noted the recent Maternal Mortality Review Committee report that showed 107 Pennsylvania women died in 2020 during pregnancy or within one year of giving birth. Making doula services more readily available to women in parts of the state in maternal health care deserts, where resources are sparse, will improve outcomes, Cephas said.
“Doulas can play a critical role in filling this gap in these deserts, and because of their close proximity to their clients they are able to track early warning signs of mental health concerns, as well as guiding them to proper resources to receive the care that they need,” Cephas said.
At least some within the doula community have concerns about the way the bill was pieced together and whether it truly reflects their interests.
“I’m very uneasy about it,” Amber Edmunds, a doula and director of civic engagement at MAYA, a nonprofit serving pregnant, postpartum and incarcerated people, told PublicSource. “I don’t have enough context. I don’t have the information I need.” Edmunds said she is concerned about whether Medicaid money would come with strings attached that would compromise the independence and effectiveness of doulas.
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