Last updated October 2026.
Yes. Florida Medicaid members can get doula care at no cost through their Medicaid health plan. In May 2026, the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) announced From the Start, a statewide maternal health initiative under which every Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) health plan covers unlimited doula services for pregnant members. This guide explains how the benefit works and how to find a Medicaid doula in Florida.
How Florida Medicaid covers doulas
In Florida, doula care is covered through the SMMC health plans rather than as a traditional Medicaid service. The plans cover it as an expanded benefit, meaning a service they provide on top of standard Medicaid benefits.
Under the SMMC contracts that started February 1, 2025, AHCA's expanded benefits chart already showed doula services offered by all eight health plans on it:
- Aetna Better Health of Florida
- Community Care Plan
- Florida Community Care
- Humana Medical Plan (Humana Healthy Horizons in Florida)
- Molina Healthcare
- Simply Healthcare Plans
- Sunshine State Health Plan (Sunshine Health)
- UnitedHealthcare
Until 2026, each plan set its own limits. From the Start is meant to line plans up so they offer the same enhanced services, and AHCA's May 7, 2026 announcement lists "coverage of unlimited doula services" as one of them. Some plan benefit pages still show older visit limits, so ask your plan what its current doula benefit includes.
What a Medicaid doula can help with
Doulas give non-medical support: emotional and physical support during labor, help preparing for birth, information about breastfeeding and newborn care, and support after the baby comes. Plans describe their doula benefits as covering prenatal visits, support during labor and birth, and postpartum visits. Doulas do not replace your doctor or midwife.
Who qualifies
You qualify if you are pregnant and enrolled in Florida Medicaid through an SMMC health plan. Some plans connect doula care to their pregnancy programs, so tell your plan as soon as you know you are pregnant. Plans often use a Notification of Pregnancy form, which you can complete with your prenatal care provider.
How to find a Medicaid doula in Florida
- Find your plan. Your plan name and member services number are on your Medicaid ID card.
- Call member services and ask for in-network doulas. Ask: How many doula visits are covered? Does it include labor support? Do I need a referral or prior authorization? Can you send me a list of doulas near me who are taking new clients for my due date?
- Use your plan's provider search. Some plans list doulas in their online provider directory. If you find a doula you like who is not listed, ask the plan whether that doula can join or already works with it.
- Search local doulas on Bornbir. Browse doulas in Florida or start with Miami, Orlando, Tampa, or Jacksonville. You can also see doulas who list Medicaid. Not every doula on Bornbir is in network with Florida Medicaid plans, so ask each one which plans they work with.
- Ask your Healthy Start coalition or prenatal clinic. They work with pregnant Medicaid members and may know which doulas in your county work with your plan.
Questions to ask a doula
- Are you in network with my Medicaid plan?
- Will my plan pay for everything in your package, or is anything extra?
- How many prenatal and postpartum visits do you usually do?
- Will you be with me in person during labor? When do you join?
- Who is your backup if you cannot make it to my birth?
If your plan says no
Doula care is now part of From the Start across all SMMC health plans, so a flat "we don't cover doulas" answer is worth questioning. Ask the representative to check again, mention the From the Start initiative, and write down their name and the date. If the problem is that no in-network doula is available near you, ask the plan to help you find one. You can also call Florida Medicaid's choice counseling line at 1-877-711-3662 or visit flmedicaidmanagedcare.com to compare plans, and your plan must explain in writing how to appeal if it denies a service.
Is Florida making doula care a standard benefit?
Not by law yet. In the 2026 session, Senate Bill 514, which would have created a Doula Support for Healthy Births pilot program in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties and a doula certification task force, died in committee in March 2026. For now, doula coverage runs through the SMMC health plans and the From the Start initiative.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay anything for a Medicaid doula in Florida?
Plans list doula services at no cost to members when you use a doula who works with your plan. If a doula offers extras outside the plan's benefit, ask for prices in writing first.
Can I use any doula I want?
Usually you need a doula who works with your plan. Ask your plan before you sign a contract with a doula.
Where can I compare Medicaid doula coverage in other states?
See our guide to which states cover doula care through Medicaid.
Get replies from Florida doulas
On Bornbir you can post a free request with your due date, city, and Medicaid plan. Doulas near you can reply, and you can ask each one whether they work with your plan before you decide.
