Doula Bill: call for written testimony

The legislative hearing on the doula bill, An Act relative to Medicaid coverage for doula services (S.782/H.1240) is happening this Wednesday, 10am-3pm, in the Gardner Auditorium. The doula bill would require MassHealth to cover doula service, and create the infrastructure to ensure the program is successful, sustainable, and targeted towards addressing racial disparities in maternal health. 

This bill was drafted by MLRI and the Massachusetts Doula Coalition, a grassroots coalition of doulas dedicated to expanding community-based doula services for low-income and traditionally marginalized communities. It was cited by the Boston Globe editorial board as an important step for the State to meaningfully respond to racial disparities in maternal, which state data shows is continuing to get worse, particularly for Black mothers. 

Thank you to the many organizations that are already planning to submit written testimony in support of this bill! If your organization would like to join our efforts to reduce racial disparities in maternal health, please consider submitting written testimony in support of the doula bill. You can use this template testimony to get started, and these talking points. 

We hope to submit written testimony to the Health Care Financing Committee by this Friday, September 22. But if your organization needs more time, later submissions will be accepted. You can either submit your testimony to me at ksymmonds@mlri.org and I will submit it for you, or you can email it directly to John.Lawn@mahouse.gov, Cindy.Friedman@masenate.gov, and timothy.oneill@mahouse.gov.

If you want to watch the hearing live on Wednesday, you can find a link to the livestream under the "hearings and events" section of the legislature's homepage. Four other important bills regarding health equity will be heard at that hearing:

(1) An Act relative to preventing discrimination against persons with disabilities in the provision of health care (H.1180/S.753), 

(2) An Act advancing health care research and decision-making centered on patients and people with disabilities (H.1183/S.730), 

(3) An Act expanding affordable coverage through ConnectorCare (H.1186/S.733), and 

(4) An Act to advance health equity (H.1250/S.799)

I look forward to seeing many of you at the hearing this Wednesday!