Medicaid cuts delay doula services on Northern Cheyenne Reservation

Montana health officials have postponed adding doula services to the state’s Medicaid program, citing a budget shortfall, according to KFF Health News. The decision halts a plan approved last year that would have reimbursed doulas up to $1,600 per pregnancy. 

The delay affects providers like Misty Pipe, a Northern Cheyenne doula who offers unpaid support in a community about 100 miles from the nearest hospital that delivers babies, according to KFF Health News. Officials project a $146.3 million Medicaid funding shortfall and said additional service reductions may follow as the state evaluates spending.