California will cover doula services for low-income residents at more than twice the state’s initial proposed rate under a spending plan lawmakers passed last week.
California will cover doula services for low-income residents at more than twice the state's initial proposed rate under a spending plan lawmakers passed last week.
Some advocates believe the new benefit could help professionalize the group of nonmedical birth workers. But other advocates say the new proposed rate is still too low for the time and work it takes to ensure healthy deliveries.
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.