Nevada increases incentives for doulas to help pregnant Medicaid members

Carson City, NV February 27, 2023

Over half of all births in Nevada are reimbursed by Nevada Medicaid, and for those babies and their parents, new maternal support is available through doulas. Now Nevada Medicaid is increasing incentives to doulas who offer guidance during pregnancy as an alternative to, and/or in conjunction with traditional care.

“We are utilizing payment models to improve health outcomes for babies and their parents in Nevada by offering incentives for doulas to connect Medicaid members to essential services,” said Dr. Antonina Capurro, Deputy Administrator of Nevada Medicaid.

The new incentive offered by Nevada Medicaid for doulas increases the reimbursement rates from $350 per pregnancy up to $450 to encourage doulas to facilitate access to prenatal/antepartum and oral health care.

“This incentive encourages doulas to connect Medicaid members to evidence-based services that will support a healthy pregnancy,” Dr. Capurro said. “We are committed to producing public health policy that will improve the long-term health of Nevadans.”

Evidence shows the need to improve access to health care options for future parents in Nevada.

• Only 34.1% of pregnant women had their teeth cleaned during pregnancy; and 73.4% had insurance to cover dental care during pregnancy (Nevada Oral Health State Plan 2022-2023)
• Babies born to mothers who received no prenatal care are 3 times more likely to be born at low birth weight and 5 times more likely to die than those whose mothers received prenatal care (cdclv.unlv.edu)
• Poor oral health during pregnancy can lead to poor health outcomes for the parent and baby (CDC)

Doulas were first added as an approved provider type in April 2022 following approval during the 81st Legislative session. Since that time, Nevada Medicaid has actively processed applications for doula providers. The new doula incentive was approved following a public hearing on January 31, 2023, and became effective February 1. For more information on how to become Nevada-Medicaid approved doula go to the page here.

Contact

Ky Plaskon
Public Information Officer, Division of Health Care Financing and Policy