What the doula benefit looks like in practice
Massachusetts Medicaid covers doula care, including support during labor and birth, since December 2023.
Black doulas in our directory listed as accepting Medicaid in Massachusetts: /doulas/ma/medicaid/.
A Cochrane review of 26 trials found that continuous one-to-one support during labor, the kind a doula gives, was associated with more spontaneous vaginal births, fewer cesarean births and shorter labors, though the evidence was rated low quality (Bohren et al., 2017).
For Black families
MassHealth covers doula care during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and up to 12 months after delivery, and for adoptive parents of infants under one year old. Under rates effective December 8, 2023, MassHealth pays doulas $100 per perinatal visit (up to $800 per perinatal period, with exceptions) and $900 for labor and delivery support. A MassHealth regulation effective September 25, 2026 made certified professional midwives a MassHealth provider type, with enrollment opening in October 2026.
Where to get help in Massachusetts
- The application line MassHealth lists on its own pages: (800) 841-2900.
- Community health centers in Massachusetts: /clinics/ma/. Federally funded community health centers discount their fees by income, with a full discount at or below the poverty line (42 CFR 51c.303(f)).
- Health profile for Black residents of Massachusetts: /health/massachusetts/.
- Black doulas in our directory listed as accepting Medicaid in Massachusetts: /doulas/ma/medicaid/.
References & primary sources
Data refreshed:
More Massachusetts Medicaid facets
If you have Medicaid, the coverage on this page is the route to use first: it costs you nothing and it is what these programs exist for. If you are not covered yet, there is still a free option. Our directory of free and charitable clinics lists centers by state. The option below is self-pay and is not billed to Medicaid. It is here for readers who are between coverage or who prefer to pay out of pocket:
Sesame Care
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