More and more, we’re hearing from families who are able to use employee benefits to help pay for their doula services. Many employers started to turn to these programs in an effort to attract and retain employees after the Great Resignation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of them cover everything from fertility treatment to midwifery services to lactation consultants. And the fact that so many are now providing reimbursement for postpartum doula services feels like a significant improvement to what so often in our culture is a lack of support for parents after the birth of a baby!
What to Know
Programs that may reimburse for doula services include those such as Carrot, Progyny and Maven, and some health insurance companies are beginning to offer reimbursement as well. As a doula agency, we’re seeing many families use these benefits to pay for postpartum doula support in the home after the birth of their baby/ies, either in the form of a few day shifts/week for the first few weeks or months, or in the form of ongoing overnight support. Some who may not have had the budget for this are suddenly able to benefit from such invaluable support. Others who had set aside money for the service are now able to afford more shifts, or more weeks of support than they would have otherwise gotten, helping them to focus even more on rest, healing, and for some, returning to work less depleted.
Navigating Your Benefits
One of the challenges with the rollouts of these benefit programs is that the organizations are not always fully aware of the intricacies of the doula field and the norms around credentialing and scopes of service. For example, we’ve seen insurance companies requiring diagnostic codes, when doulas are not medical providers and don’t diagnose.
The newness of these programs can also mean that the requirements for reimbursement face frequent changes. Fortunately, many doula agencies have been able to navigate this for our clients and help them receive reimbursement for doula services. Sometimes it’s only the doula fees specifically, and not additional agency fees if those are charged separately, that are covered. Still, the doula fee makes up the large majority of a family’s cost, and therefore the bulk of their expenses are still covered. Many families simply choose to pay an agency fee in order to benefit from the peace of mind that comes with knowing their doula is vetted, and tried and true (because of the ongoing feedback and support provided to the agency’s doulas), as well as from knowing that the agency is there to fall back on if issues arise.
Finding A Doula
The truth is, one of the reasons these benefit programs do have some trouble navigating requirements and credentials is because the doula profession is not regulated, and there is no governing body overseeing doula qualifications. That in fact is the whole reason for agencies such as ours, who evaluate a doula’s training and experience, conduct careful reference checks and a thorough application and interview process… and keep tabs on their doulas via the feedback they receive and the mentoring they provide. By the time you connect with an agency doula all of this has been done for you, as well as some matchmaking that takes into account your desired schedule and any other preferences.
In contrast, starting a search from scratch and navigating private doula websites, determining their qualifications, figuring out how to verify training records and/or reach references… can significantly add to your time and aggravation with the process. That said, if you can’t find an agency in your area, see if your benefit program offers a roster of approved doulas or agencies, or ask them if there are directories they recommend from various doula training organizations. The directories don’t usually require or involve the same level of vetting as an agency would have conducted, but they can at least be considered a proof of training, which is a start.
We’re thrilled to see more and more families learning how they can find support, and benefitting from these invaluable resources. If you’re in San Diego or Orange County, CA, reach out to us for help with your doula search! Or… if you’re wishing this were a benefit at your workplace, put us in touch with your Benefits department, and we can offer a consultation to help them learn how to set it up so that employees such as yourself can benefit from such invaluable support!
