“Our objective was to just get some doulas out there helping some people as fast as we could. We never intended that what we have now is the ideal.”

—Susan Lane, doula

Minnesota began covering doula services for Medicaid patients in 2014. Despite major progress, we consistently heard that many barriers identified years ago persist.

We interviewed the Minnesota Department of Human Services, some managed care organizations, parents and more than 20 Minnesota-based doulas for this series. Along the way, we picked up tips that might be helpful for expectant parents and current and future doulas who wish to serve the Medicaid population.