Bill > HB1468

This bill mandates that health insurance providers, including those offering health care subscription contracts and health maintenance organizations (HMOs), must cover doula care services if their plans already include obstetrical services. Doula care services are defined broadly to include support during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, with an emphasis on empowering individuals, advocating for physiological birth and breastfeeding, and providing referrals and advocacy. This coverage must include at least eight visits during the antepartum or postpartum period and support during labor and delivery, provided by a state-certified doula, which refers to a doula certified according to state law. Importantly, insurers are not required to pay for services that are duplicated by both a doula and another healthcare provider, and they cannot require a doula to have supervision, a signature, or a referral from another healthcare provider for reimbursement, unless those requirements also apply to other types of healthcare providers. These provisions will take effect for policies, contracts, or plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth on or after January 1, 2027, with certain exceptions for specific types of limited or government-related insurance plans.

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https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1468