LEXINGTON, Ky. — Anthem Medicaid launched a doula pilot program last year to help pregnant people get access to prenatal labor, and postpartum care. The company invested $300,000 in the program, and grants went to three organizations to train diverse doulas that ultimately increased access to care for underserved communities.

What You Need To Know

  • Anthem Medicaid put $300,000 toward a doula pilot program last year

  • Doula agency Mama to Mama used the grant to train new doulas

  • Doulas advocate for pregnant people throughout their pregnancy, during delivery and after

  • Advocates believe doulas can solve the maternal mortality crisis, especially for women of color

Mama to Mama was one of the doula agencies that received a grant from Anthem. 

“The more doulas I have, the more outreach in the community we have and we’re able to service more clients that way,” said Kazia Bryant, the executive director at Mama to Mama.

Doulas that work for the agency are matched to a pregnant person who is seeking a doula.

“For me, as a doula, I want to make sure that the mom has her voice in the delivery room,” said Alicia Cottrell, a doula for Mama to Mama. “I want to make sure that mom is heard, and that mom is having the ideal experience that she wants to have.”

Ensuring that pregnant women in their community are listened to throughout their pregnancy, while in labor, and after birth, is a priority for the doulas.

“Doulas are there to stop the ‘hush’, ‘I need to be quiet’, ‘let me not stare’, ‘well maybe this is okay’,” said April Hickman, another doula for Mama to Mama. “No… we’re there, you know, to be advocates for Black women because Black women deserve to live, their babies deserve to live.”

In 2018, Black women had a mortality rate of 40.2 out of 100,000 live births, according to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. That’s more than triple the rate compared to white women.

“We’re not living in silence anymore,” said Hickman. “Our pain is not going to be something that we die with because we couldn’t tell it.”

The results from the pilot program were deemed successful by Bryant and staff at Anthem. There were fewer c-sections and lower rates of postpartum depression among those who took part.

“I’m just excited that we had the opportunity to work with these doula agencies,” said Tabitha Ross, the health equity director at Anthem. “I think that, you know, the work that they’re doing is wonderful and providing a much-needed service to women in our community.”

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services report also stated that 91% of maternal deaths were preventable. Advocates strongly believe that doulas could help with lowering that statistic. 

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