We Need Doula Care to Achieve Reproductive Justice
November 11, 2014While the Affordable Care Act has significantly improved access to health insurance and preventive care, some important types of care for pregnant women were left out of the health-care reform law, namely doula care.
A new report from Choices in Childbirth, a New York City-based health nonprofit, shows that doulas not only improve maternal health outcomes, but the maternal care and support they provide also empowers women to overcome discrimination in the health-care system, ultimately improving health outcomes.
Yet, doula care is not nationally covered in public and private health insurance plans. This new report, Doula Care in New York City: Advancing the Goals of the Affordable Care Act, adds to a body of evidence that doula care should both be included in health plans and be made available to all women, particularly women of color, who face disproportionate rates of maternal and infant mortality in the United States.