Insurance Articles

Insurance articles for parents, doulas, lactation consultants, and other perinatal care providers.

Are Midwives Covered by Insurance: A 2026 Guide
Insurance

Are Midwives Covered by Insurance: A 2026 Guide

If you're asking are midwives covered by insurance, the short answer is yes, sometimes, but the result depends on credential, payer, and place of birth. In the U.S., CNM services are a mandatory Medicaid benefit, yet coverage is much less consistent for other midwife credentials, and even covered care can still produce surprise bills when the setting changes. You might be on the phone with an insurer right now, getting one answer from a representative and a different answer from another. That happens because midwife coverage is not one yes-or-no question, it's three questions at once. Why the Answer Depends...

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Do Doulas Need Liability Insurance in 2026?
Doula Business

Do Doulas Need Liability Insurance in 2026?

In most U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions, doulas are not legally required to carry liability insurance, but coverage is often required to bill Medicaid, join collectives, contract with hospitals, or list on platforms. For a lot of doulas, that turns insurance from a backup plan into a market-access decision. A newly certified birth doula feels that pressure fast. She has a first hospital-supported client on the calendar, a collective application in progress, and a question that keeps coming up in onboarding calls: do doulas need liability insurance, or is this just another business expense to postpone until later? Why Doulas Are...

Are Doulas Covered by Insurance? Your 2026 Guide
Insurance

Are Doulas Covered by Insurance? Your 2026 Guide

You're sitting at the kitchen table with a benefits booklet open, your insurer portal on one screen, and a doula's website on the other. The doula sounds like exactly the kind of support you want during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum. Then the hard question lands. Are doulas covered by insurance? For a lot of families, the answer is frustratingly uneven. One document says a service might be reimbursable. Another says it isn't a standard maternity benefit. Your HR portal mentions wellness programs, but your insurer's customer service rep sounds unsure. It can feel like everyone is talking in half-answers. That...

Progyny Lactation Consultant: Your 2026 Benefits Guide
Lactation Consultant

Progyny Lactation Consultant: Your 2026 Benefits Guide

Progyny's Pregnancy and Postpartum Care benefit includes unlimited, on-demand access to certified lactation consultants at no cost to eligible members. That means if your employer offers this benefit, you can usually get feeding support without trying to piece it together on your own while you're tired, sore, and wondering if your baby is getting enough. A lot of parents look for help at the same point. It might be the second night home, when feeds are taking forever and your baby still seems unsettled. It might be during pregnancy, when you're trying to be proactive and want a plan before...

Progyny Doula Coverage: A 2026 Guide to Your Benefits
Doula

Progyny Doula Coverage: A 2026 Guide to Your Benefits

You're probably here because pregnancy support suddenly got very real. Maybe you found a doula you like, then stopped cold at the same common question. Will Progyny cover this, and if so, how do I use the benefit without messing it up? That confusion is normal. Progyny doula coverage isn't usually a simple swipe-and-done insurance moment. It often works more like a guided reimbursement benefit inside a bigger maternity program, which means the answer is less “yes or no” and more “let's make sure your exact plan says yes, then follow the right steps.” Understanding Progyny Doula Benefits Progyny doesn't...

How to Find Providers' NPI Numbers
Insurance

How to Find Providers' NPI Numbers

Using the Official NPI Registry Search The fastest reliable answer usually comes from the official registry. If you're learning how to find providers' NPI numbers, this is the method worth using first. The free NPPES NPI Registry lets you search by provider name or organization name. A practical workflow is to search the exact legal name, verify the taxonomy and primary practice location, then confirm the result, because the registry can show multiple records with the same or similar names. Start with the exact name Use the name the provider uses on formal paperwork, not the name you know from...

How to Get a Lactation Consultant Covered by Insurance
Postpartum Care

How to Get a Lactation Consultant Covered by Insurance

Let's get straight to the big question: Is a lactation consultant covered by your insurance? For most families, the answer is a resounding yes. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most health insurance plans are required to cover breastfeeding support and counseling, often with no out-of-pocket costs to you. Your Guide to Insurance for Lactation Support Navigating insurance benefits can feel like trying to decipher a secret code, especially when you're busy with a new baby. You need answers about feeding your little one, and the last thing you want is a surprise bill for getting the help you...

Washington State Medicaid: What to Do If You Lose Coverage - GoodRx
Insurance

Apple Health Doula Billing Guide (Washington State Medicaid): A Step-by-Step Overview for 2026

Washington State is leading the way in supporting community-based birth workers. As of January 1, 2025, Apple Health (Washington State Medicaid) now fully covers birth doula services for eligible individuals, making doula care more accessible while compensating doulas at some of the highest rates in the nation—up to $3,500 per birth. Whether you're a practicing doula or looking to become one, this guide explains how to enroll as a provider, what services are covered, and how to get paid for your work through Medicaid. What Does Apple Health Cover for Doulas? Apple Health recognizes birth doulas as key members of...

What States Cover Doula Care Through Medicaid in 2026?
Doula

What States Cover Doula Care Through Medicaid in 2026?

As of September 2026, 28 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. reimburse doulas through Medicaid, recognizing the positive impact doulas have on maternal and infant health outcomes. Utah's benefit began on April 1, 2026, and Arkansas Medicaid started covering doula care on September 1, 2026, up from the 26 states plus D.C. that NASHP counted in March 2026. States that cover doula care through Medicaid in 2026 State Start Date Reimbursement Rate Arizona Oct 1, 2024 $16.28 per 15 min + $781.32 labor Arkansas Sept 1, 2026 Modeled on Oklahoma's fee schedule; up to 2 postpartum visits California Jan 1, 2023...

West Virginia Department of Human Services Reports Medicaid Program Data | WV News | wvnews.com
Doula

How to Find Doulas Who Accepts Medicaid in West Virginia?

Finding doulas who accept Medicaid in West Virginia can be done through a few steps. Here's a step-by-step guide: Check with Medicaid Provider Directory: Start by checking Medicaid provider directory for West Virginia. The directory should include a list of healthcare professionals and service providers, including doulas. Online Search and Directories: Use online search engines and directories that specialize in healthcare providers who accept Medicaid. Websites like Bornbir may have directories where you can filter for doulas who accept Medicaid. Contact Local Doula Organizations: Reach out to local doula organizations or associations in West Virginia. They may have resources or...