S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5709--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 20, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES, SHIMSKY, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, CUNNINGHAM,
McDONOUGH, GIGLIO, WALKER, RAGA, NOVAKHOV, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, MEEKS,
CLARK, REYES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health --
recommitted to the Committee on Health in accordance with Assembly
Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to establish a work group to set reimbursement rates for doulas
in the state Medicaid program and address other criteria related to
their practice
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The legislature acknowledges the excluded history that
healthcare workers and doulas have as members of historically excluded
communities, and acknowledges the exclusionary forces these professions
have had in gaining the recognition, certification, and equitable
compensation for the critical work they do in pregnancy, maternal
health, maternal mental health, and childcare. The legislature declares
that it is the purpose of this work group to examine and recommend the
best practices for integrating doulas into New York state's Medicaid
healthcare system and ensuring the state is prepared and ready to
elevate the critical work doulas perform across historically excluded
communities across the state of New York.
§ 2. There is hereby established in the department of health, the
doula Medicaid reimbursement work group, hereinafter referred to as the
"work group." The majority of the members of the work group shall be
composed of doulas, as well as multi-disciplinary experts in the field
of doula services and maternal health who serve and are representative
of the racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic diversity of birth-
ing people in communities across the state served by the state's Medi-
caid program.
§ 3. The work group shall be composed of fourteen members, which shall
include eight members to be appointed by the governor as follows:
a. the commissioner of the department of health or their designee;
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01902-02-6
A. 5709--A 2
b. five representatives who may either be practicing doulas, or doulas
in training, or individuals with expertise in the field of doula
services;
c. one representative serving maternal health needs;
d. one representative from the medical insurance industry;
e. and six additional members, three appointed on the recommendation
of the temporary president of the senate; and three appointed on the
recommendation of the speaker of the assembly.
§ 4. The governor shall designate the commissioner of the department
of health or their designee, as chair of the board. Members of the work
group shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be
reimbursed for actual expenses incurred during the performance of their
duties on the work group. Reimbursement shall allow for historically
excluded communities to participate wholly in the performance of their
duties on the work group by providing, if necessary, reimbursements for
reasonable expenses incurred that may include, but not be limited to,
travel, meals and lodging.
§ 5. Appointments shall be made within ninety days of the effective
date of this act. Vacancies in the work group shall be filled in the
same manner provided for original appointments. The appointee makeup of
the work group shall be majority doulas, as well as multi-disciplinary
experts in the field of doula services and maternal health who serve and
are representative of the racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic
diversity of birthing people in communities across the state.
§ 6. The work group shall conduct a study and evaluation of the costs,
benefits and issues that may be associated with Medicaid reimbursement
for doulas and for providing doula care to Medicaid recipients. The work
group shall consider factors including but not limited to:
a. identifying evidence-based practices related to when and how doula
care results in improvements to maternal and infant mortality rates;
b. identifying successful Medicaid doula programs and initiatives in
other states and recommend programs, tools, and funding sources that are
needed to implement similar programs and initiatives in New York state;
c. establishing a criteria for adequate and equitable Medicaid
reimbursement rates for a primary doula;
d. establishing a criteria for adequate and equitable Medicaid
reimbursement for a substitute doula, in the event the primary doula is
unavailable to provide doula services to Medicaid patients during deliv-
ery;
e. considering the appropriate quantity and selection of antepartum,
intrapartum, or postpartum doula visits to qualify for Medicaid
reimbursement;
f. examining the need for doula liability coverage and insurance;
g. considering the need for continuing education for doulas; and
h. recommending the state file an amendment to the Medicaid state plan
to include payment for doula services rendered for antepartum, intrapar-
tum, or postpartum doula services provided to a birthing person or to a
person at a reasonable time postpartum for labor and delivery support by
a doula.
§ 7. The work group, on or before December 31, 2026, shall submit a
final report containing all findings and recommendations to the gover-
nor, the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the
assembly.
§ 8. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.