Missouri ranks 43rd in the nation on the Commonwealth Fund’s Women’s Health and Reproductive Care Outcomes ranking. One bill that aims to aid in raising the state’s score.
Doulas help a pregnant person before, during and after the delivery of a baby. They can provide support in a pregnant person's home and even advocate for the pregnant person in the doctor’s office.
Currently, a doctor needs to recommend a doula for their patient in order for Medicaid to cover the costs of hiring the doula; this bill would remove that requirement. The bill also aims to officially enshrine in state law that doulas are covered under Medicaid.
Representative LaKeySha Bosley, a democrat from St. Louis, sponsors the bill. She said doulas can be especially helpful for women of color.
"It not only bridges the gap which we have not historically seen ourselves," Bosley said.
According to the Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review, between 2017-2021, Black women faced higher rates of pregnancy-related deaths.
