California initially proposed a flat rate of $450 per birth, covering all prenatal and postnatal visits, on-call time during the pregnancy, and labor and delivery.
This was supposed to be the year that low-income Californians could hire a doula to guide them through pregnancy and advocate for them in the hospital.
California was supposed to start paying doulas this year to facilitate healthier pregnancies for Medicaid enrollees. But the benefit has been delayed. Doulas feel lowballed by the state.