New York Medicaid Recipients Now Have Access To Doulas, In Effort To Improve Maternal Health

On June 10, 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced an $8 million investment to improve infant and maternal health across the state of New York. In addition to ensuring that prenatal care is more accessible to New Yorkers, a standing order was issued to provide access to doula services for birthing parents. The announcement comes at a time when the maternal mortality crisis in the United States outpaces every other high-income country. For Black women in particular, the maternal mortality crisis is even more dire with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that Black women are at least three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to their white counterparts.

Data from the CDC from 2018-2021 indicates that the states with the worst maternal mortality rates include Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama, respectively. Research analyzing U.S. maternal mortality trends from 1969-2018 indicates that mothers in impoverished and underserved areas have a greater risk of maternal mortality than mothers in more affluent areas. Although New York fares better than many other states, Governor Hochul emphasized that areas like the Bronx have some of the highest maternal mortality rates in New York, with the Bronx having the highest poverty rate out of all five boroughs in New York City.

When it comes to maternal mortality rates, racial disparities in New York City are even more pronounced than in the nation as a whole, with the New York Times reporting in early 2024 that “Black women in New York City are nine times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth than white women.” Research suggests wealth provides a buffer leading to better maternal health outcomes, but this doesn’t hold true for Black mothers. A landmark 2022 study found that the highest-income Black women experienced worse infant mortality rates than the poorest white women.

Research indicates that the support of a doula during the birthing process leads to improved birthing experiences and more positive birthing outcomes. According to the Doula Medicaid Project Listserv, as of May 2024, 14 states provided access to doula services through Medicaid. Each state should adopt similar measures to improve maternal health outcomes across the U.S. Black women, who experience some of the worst maternal mortality outcomes in the country can benefit greatly from the support of both midwives and doulas.

Increasing access to information can play a vital role in addressing the abysmal maternal mortality rates; conversations and education about the maternal mortality crisis must continue. In 2023, Baby Dove and Sista Midwife Productions partnered to develop a much-needed list of Black doulas across the country. Recently, the birthFUND, was created to expand nationwide access to midwifery birth support services and is filling the gap by providing those most in need with the necessary care. The Black Birth Equity Fund is another resource created to provide Black birthing people with grants to cover doula services. Offering doula services through Medicaid is just one of the many efforts that must be taken to improve maternal health outcomes in the U.S. Providing access to doulas and midwives is paramount to addressing the maternal mortality crisis.

This article was originally published in Forbes.

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