""Women need this help," Pipe said. Doulas ready parents for childbirth, support their deliveries, and can be a steady presence in a baby's first months. Studies link their work with lower rates of costly birth and postpartum complications especially in hard-to-reach places like Lame Deer."
""DPHHS will not be moving forward with the implementation of doula services in the Montana Medicaid benefit package at this time," department spokesperson Holly Matkin told KFF Health News."
""Doula doesn't pay the bills around here," Pipe said, highlighting the financial challenges faced by doulas in providing essential services in their communities."
Misty Pipe, a doula in Lame Deer, Montana, supports new parents for free due to the lack of nearby hospitals. Doulas help reduce birth complications, but their services are scarce. Montana planned to reimburse doulas through Medicaid, but the implementation was postponed due to budget shortfalls. Pipe hoped the reimbursement would allow her to focus on doula work full-time, but the state Department of Public Health and Human Services announced it would not move forward with the program at this time.
Read at www.npr.org
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