An Act to create 49.45 (30t), 49.46 (2) (b) 12p. and 253.087 of the statutes; Relating to: reimbursement for doula services under the Medical Assistance program, doulas accompanying Medical Assistance recipients in hospitals and birthing centers, and granting rule-making authority. (FE)
SB1108 would require the Department of Health Services to seek any needed federal waiver or state Medicaid plan amendment so that Wisconsin’s Medical Assistance program could reimburse certified doulas for doula services. If federal approval is obtained, DHS would be directed to pay certified doulas for childbirth education and emotional and physical support provided during pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postpartum period to Medical Assistance recipients.
The bill also establishes hospital and birthing-center access rules for Medicaid recipients who want a doula present during childbirth. Hospitals and birthing centers would have to adopt written policies, publish them online, and allow a Medical Assistance–certified doula chosen by the patient to accompany the patient before, during, and after labor and delivery. The doula could not be counted against guest or support-person limits, but access could still be denied if inconsistent with generally accepted medical standards or practices. The bill also limits hospital liability for the doula’s acts or omissions and requires doulas to provide written proof of certification on request.
SB1108 would add new statutory provisions to Wisconsin’s Medical Assistance law and hospital regulation framework, specifically creating a Medicaid reimbursement pathway for doula services and setting minimum access standards for doulas in hospitals and birthing centers. It would affect DHS, Medicaid providers, hospitals, birthing centers, and certified doulas, while also giving DHS rule-making authority and conditioning reimbursement on federal approval of a waiver or state plan amendment.
The bill appears generally supportive of expanding maternal health supports and improving access to doula care for Medicaid enrollees. Its structure suggests a policy goal of normalizing doula participation in childbirth settings and reducing barriers to reimbursement and hospital access. However, the available record does not include committee testimony or recorded votes, and the bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, so there is no detailed public record here of floor-level support or opposition.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be cost, Medicaid administration, and hospital operational concerns. Reimbursement depends on federal approval, which may raise questions about implementation and fiscal impact, while hospitals may be concerned about mandatory policy changes, guest-limit exceptions, liability protections, and the requirement to allow outside support persons into labor and delivery areas. On the other hand, supporters would likely emphasize maternal health equity, patient choice, and improved birth outcomes for Medicaid recipients.