§1059.2. Required coverage for maternity support services provided by doulas; legislative
findings; definitions
A. The legislature hereby finds and affirms all of the following:
(1)A doula is an individual who has been trained to provide physical, emotional, and
educational support, but not medical or midwifery care, to pregnant and birthing women and
their families before, during, and after childbirth.
(2)Leading professional societies such as the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and federal agencies such as the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services
Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, have recognized the
well-established benefits of maternity support se
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§1059.2. Required coverage for maternity support services provided by doulas; legislative
findings; definitions
A. The legislature hereby finds and affirms all of the following:
(1) A doula is an individual who has been trained to provide physical, emotional, and
educational support, but not medical or midwifery care, to pregnant and birthing women and
their families before, during, and after childbirth.
(2) Leading professional societies such as the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and federal agencies such as the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services
Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, have recognized the
well-established benefits of maternity support services provided by doulas.
(3) Research has demonstrated that support from a doula is associated with lower
cesarean section rates, fewer obstetric interventions, fewer complications during and after
childbirth, decreased use of pain medication, shorter labor hours, and higher scores on the
Apgar test, which indicates how well a baby is doing outside of the womb.
(4) As Louisiana currently ranks as a state with one of the highest maternal and
infant mortality rates in the United States, this state has a compelling interest in and
obligation to promote practices that improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
B.(1) A health coverage plan delivered or issued for delivery in this state that
provides benefits for maternity services shall include coverage for maternity support services
provided by a doula to pregnant and birthing women before, during, and after childbirth.
(2) The coverage required pursuant to this Section may be subject to annual
deductibles, coinsurance, and copayment provisions as are consistent with those established
under the health coverage plan. The coverage may also be subject to a limit per pregnancy
not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars.
(3)(a) The requirements established by a health coverage plan to insure the maternity
support services provided by a doula before, during, and after childbirth shall not preclude
a doula from practice in this state.
(b) A doula may opt to practice in this state and forego any eligible reimbursement
via a health coverage plan; however, a doula opting for reimbursement via a health coverage
plan shall apply to the Louisiana Doula Registry Board for registration and receive an
approved registration status.
(c) In addition to the registration prescribed in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph,
a health insurance issuer or health coverage plan may establish additional credentialing
standards for contracting with doulas.
(4) Terminology in any health coverage plan policy or contract deemed
discriminatory against doulas or maternity support services provided by doulas is void and
unenforceable.
C. For purposes of this Section, the following definitions apply:
(1) "Doula" means the same as the term is defined in R.S. 22:1059.1.
(2) "Health coverage plan" means the same as the term is defined in R.S. 22:1059.
(3) "Maternity support services" means the physical, emotional, and educational
support services provided by a doula to pregnant and birthing women before, during, and
after childbirth. "Maternity support services" includes postpartum bereavement support.