Does Washington Medicaid Cover Doulas?
Starting January 1, 2025, Washington State’s Apple Health (Medicaid) began covering birth doula services — an important step toward more equitable maternal care. For families in Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell, Everett, Lynnwood, Renton, Kent, and beyond, this means that qualified doulas can be a covered support option during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.
What Are Doula Services, Anyway?
A doula offers continuous emotional, physical, and informational support through pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postpartum period. Birth doulas specifically focus on labor and birth, helping with comfort techniques, advocacy, and reassurance. Postpartum doulas step in after birth, supporting recovery, newborn care, and breastfeeding.
Research shows that continuous support from a doula can lead to shorter labor, fewer interventions (including cesareans), and increased satisfaction with the birth experience.
What’s Covered Under Apple Health
Under the new benefit, Apple Health covers:
One prenatal intake visit to get to know you and your birth goals
Continuous support during labor and delivery
Up to 20 hours of additional prenatal and postpartum visits, including one comprehensive postpartum visit
In order to bill Medicaid, doulas must:
Be certified through the Washington State Department of Health (for birth doula)
Obtain a National Provider Identifier (NPI)
Enroll in ProviderOne (the state’s Medicaid billing system)
These steps help ensure the service meets quality standards and that doulas near me in your region can be reimbursed for care.
Does This Cover Postpartum Doulas?
While the Apple Health benefit centers on birth doula services, many certified doula programs integrate postpartum doula support into their broader care packages. You’ll want to ask directly whether the doula you’re considering also offers postpartum services and how they handle billing for those visits.
The Impact of Doula Services on Maternal Health Equity
Adding doula services to Washington State’s Medicaid program represents more than just a policy change — it’s a step toward improving maternal health equity across the region. By making birth doulas and postpartum doulas accessible to families using Apple Health, the state is helping reduce long-standing disparities in maternal and infant outcomes.
Studies show that continuous doula support leads to better birth experiences and outcomes, especially in communities that have historically faced barriers to care. Doulas provide not only emotional and physical support, but also culturally aware guidance that honors each family’s values, traditions, and needs.
As Washington expands this program, feedback from parents, doulas, and healthcare providers will play an important role in refining how services are delivered. The goal is clear: to create a more inclusive, supportive system that ensures every family — from Bellevue to Everett, from Kent to Duvall — can access compassionate, evidence-based care during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
How to Locate a Medicaid-Approved Doula in Your Area
If you live in any of the Eastside or North King / Snohomish area towns (Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell, Redmond, Shoreline, Lynnwood, Everett, etc.), here’s how to find a birth doula or postpartum doula who accepts Apple Health:
Use Washington’s Find-a-Provider tool and filter by “Doula” to find Medicaid-approved providers in your ZIP code.
Reach out to doula collectives or local birth worker networks — many will know which doulas are enrolled with ProviderOne.
Ask potential doulas directly: "Do you accept Apple Health? Are you certified and enrolled with ProviderOne?"
When interviewing, confirm they serve your specific area (Bellevue, Renton, Kent, etc.) to make sure travel or logistics work.
What to Ask Any Doula You’re Considering
When you talk to a doula, here are some helpful questions to guide you:
Are you certified as a birth doula (and do you have the DOH certification required for Medicaid)?
Are you enrolled as a Medicaid provider (ProviderOne)?
Do you also provide postpartum doula services?
What towns or regions do you regularly serve (for example, Bellevue, Kirkland, Kent, Redmond)?
Do you have backup coverage in case of scheduling conflicts?
Bottom Line for Families
For families across Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell, Mill Creek, Everett, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Shoreline, Issaquah, Sammamish, Redmond, Woodinville, Monroe, Duvall, Renton, and Kent the Apple Health expansion means doula support is more accessible than ever under Washington Medicaid. Whether you’re seeking a birth doula, postpartum doula, or both, the key is finding someone who’s certified, enrolled, and serving your area.
Having a doula by your side (at the birth or afterward) can transform your experience — offering confidence, calm, and informed advocacy. With this new Medicaid benefit, you might just find that the best doula near me is also one that’s covered.