Mississippi Medicaid Silent on Doula Coverage Despite Federal Grant Deadline
Mississippi Medicaid has not confirmed whether it will begin reimbursing doula services, even though the state accepted a federal grant requiring doula coverage by the end of 2027. Mississippi is one of three states, along with Idaho and North Dakota, that have not implemented or publicly moved toward Medicaid doula coverage, according to the National Health Law Program. The state received up to $17 million over 10 years in 2025 through a federal maternal health model aimed at improving care for Medicaid-enrolled pregnant women, but CMS guidelines mandate participating states cover doula services within three model years. A National Health Law Program attorney says Mississippi officials describe themselves as "exploring avenues," but a state Medicaid spokesperson repeatedly declined to answer questions about a concrete plan. More than half of Mississippi births are covered by Medicaid, and the state has among the nation's worst infant mortality rates.