Does Texas Medicaid Cover Doulas? How to Find One

Last updated October 2026.

Short answer: not as a standard benefit. As of October 2026, Texas Medicaid does not pay for doula labor support or regular prenatal and postpartum doula visits statewide. There are two narrower routes, though. Since December 1, 2024, doulas can enroll with Texas Medicaid to provide case management for some pregnant members, and some Medicaid health plans offer doula support as an extra benefit. This guide explains each route and how to find a doula if you have Texas Medicaid.

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Does Texas Medicaid cover doulas?

Not as a statewide benefit yet. In the 2025 legislative session, House Bill 2573, which would have added Medicaid coverage of doula services, was referred to the House Human Services Committee in March 2025 and did not move further. The next regular session of the Texas Legislature begins in January 2027.

That means Texas is not one of the states that reimburses doulas through Medicaid the way Virginia or California does.

Route 1: Doula case management for high-risk pregnancies (CPW)

Texas Medicaid has a program called Case Management for Children and Pregnant Women (CPW). A case manager helps you get medical, social, educational, and other services, such as behavioral health care or community resources like nutrition, housing assistance, and parenting services.

Under House Bill 1575 from the 2023 session, Texas Medicaid created a doula provider type for this program. Since December 1, 2024, doulas who meet Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) requirements and enroll through the Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) can provide CPW case management.

What to know:

It is case management, not labor support. Medicaid pays the doula for case management services. It does not pay for the doula to attend your birth.
It is for higher-risk situations. CPW serves high-risk pregnant women of any age and children from birth through age 20 with a health condition.
How to ask for it. Call Texas Health Steps at 877-847-8377 (877-THSteps), ask your Medicaid health plan, or email askcm@hhs.texas.gov. Ask whether a doula case manager serves your area.

Route 2: Doula support as a health plan extra

Many Texas Medicaid members are in a STAR health plan. Every STAR plan covers the same basic Medicaid benefits, and each one also chooses its own extras, called value-added services. HHSC publishes a chart of these extras for each service area, and they can change every September 1.

Doula support is rare on those charts. In the charts that took effect September 1, 2026:

Travis service area (Austin and nearby counties): Dell Children's Health Plan lists home visits during pregnancy and up to 3 months after birth, including doula support during labor and up to 2 postpartum visits. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas lists in-home doula support for high-risk pregnant members in its Special Beginnings program.
Harris (Houston), Dallas, Tarrant (Fort Worth), and Bexar (San Antonio) service areas: no STAR plan lists a doula benefit.

Call your plan's member services number (on your ID card) to confirm what it offers where you live. If another plan in your area offers doula support, you can change plans through the Texas Enrollment Broker at 800-964-2777 or YourTexasBenefits.com, as described on the HHSC STAR program page.

Who has Medicaid during and after pregnancy in Texas

Texas Medicaid covers eligible pregnant women, and CHIP Perinatal covers some pregnant women who cannot get Medicaid. Since March 1, 2024, Texas has kept Medicaid and CHIP coverage in place for 12 months after a pregnancy ends for eligible members, so any doula-related services through your plan can continue into the postpartum year.

How to find a doula if you have Texas Medicaid

Call your health plan. Ask three questions: Do you offer doula support as a value-added service in my area? Do I qualify? Can you give me names of doulas who work with your plan?
Ask about CPW case management. If your pregnancy is high-risk, ask your plan or Texas Health Steps for case management and whether a doula can be your case manager.
Ask your OB, midwife, or clinic. Ask whether they know of a local doula program for Medicaid patients or doulas they refer to.
Search local doulas on Bornbir. Browse doulas in Texas or start with Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, or Austin. You can also see doulas who list Medicaid. Not every doula on Bornbir works with Medicaid, so ask each one how they can help.
Ask about reduced fees. If Medicaid will not pay, many doulas offer sliding-scale fees, payment plans, or shorter packages, such as postpartum-only support.

Questions to ask a doula

Are you enrolled with Texas Medicaid (TMHP) as a doula for case management?
Do you work with my health plan's doula program, if it has one?
What would I pay myself, and do you offer a sliding scale or payment plan?
What does your package include: prenatal visits, birth support, postpartum visits?
Who is your backup if you cannot make it to my birth?

If your plan says no

Because doula care is not a Texas Medicaid benefit, a plan can say no unless doula support is one of its value-added services. Ask the plan which pregnancy extras it offers in your area, ask about CPW case management if your pregnancy is high-risk, and compare the other plans in your service area. Then look at community programs and sliding-scale doulas.

Frequently asked questions

Does CHIP Perinatal cover a doula?

Doula care is not a standard CHIP Perinatal benefit. Some plans include doula-related extras for CHIP members, so call your plan and ask.

Will Texas Medicaid cover doulas in the future?

Bills to add a doula benefit have been filed, but none had passed as of October 2026. Any change would most likely come from the 2027 legislative session.

How do other states handle this?

See our guide to which states cover doula care through Medicaid.

Get replies from Texas doulas

On Bornbir you can post a free request with your due date, city, and that you have Texas Medicaid. Doulas near you can reply, and you can ask each one what Medicaid or plan programs they work with and what you would pay.