Doula Program

Background

Doulas are trained nonclinical professionals who provide emotional, physical, psychosocial, and informational support to pregnant, birthing, post-pregnant people, and their families.

The benefits of doula support are well documented, and research shows that doula involvement improves a person's experience with reproductive medical care or health-related transitions, as well as improving birth outcomes and address health disparities.

Medicaid Reimbursement

New Mexico Medicaid is adding coverage for doula services as a new reimbursable preventative service for individuals navigating pregnancy-related care before, during, and after a pregnancy or childbirth.

Doula services include:

• Prenatal & post-partum physical, emotional, and evidence-based. educational support and linkages to community-based resources.
• Counseling related to Pre-conception, Pregnancy Loss, Infant Loss, Termination of Pregnancy.
• Non-medical Labor & Delivery (L&D) support.

How to Become a NM Medicaid Doula Provider

Doulas are required to obtain certification through the New Mexico Department of Health to become a Medicaid provider.

To become certified, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be at least 18 years old at the time the application is submitted.
• Maintain a current adult and infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association.
• Provide attestation that they have completed HIPAA Training named “HIPAA Awareness - Module 1 (1047429)” located at www.train.org/nm/welcome, or an approved basic Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) training course, within one year prior to the date of the Doula Certification application.

Pathways Towards Credentialing

Applicants shall apply for credential under one of the following pathways:

• Pathway 1 (One) - Training Pathway: This pathway is for applicants who have successfully completed a doula training program approved by NMDOH.
  • List of Approved Doula Trainings for Pathway 1
• Pathway 2 (Two) - Core Competencies Pathway: This pathway is for applicants who have completed education or training programs that demonstrate competency in the following five areas: cultural knowledge and learnings in perinatal care, foundations on anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and childbirth and postpartum, nonmedical comfort measures, support, and labor support techniques, lactation support, and developing a community resource list.
• Pathway 3 (Three) - Experience Pathway: This pathway is for applicants who have at least 2 (two) years of experience providing doula services without formal doula program training, but who have acquired experience through community-based learning and/or mentorship.

NMDOH Credentialed Doula Scope of Practice

NMDOH Credentialed Doula Standard of Care

Recredentialing

Doula's must recredential every 2 (two) years with the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) to stay eligible for Medicaid reimbursement. To recredential, doulas must:

• Meet all of the Eligibility Requirements
• Complete 24 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) prior to the month that the application is due to renew.

CEU REQUIRED TOPICS

12 hours must be completed in Primary CEU topics with a minimum of 3 (three) hours in each topic:

Primary CEU Topics Include:

• Maternal Mental Health;
• Prenatal and Postpartum Care for Individuals Experiencing Substance Use Disorders;
• Lactation Support; and
• Cultural Humility in Reproductive Health

Secondary CEU hours

12 hours in secondary CEU hours in topics relevant to the Doula practice. Examples include:

• Perinatal Care for Indigenous Families
• Perinatal Nutrition and/or Gestational Diabetes
• Support for Special Birth Circumstances
• Perinatal Care for Families from various backgrounds
• Trauma Informed Care
• Grief and Loss
• Postpartum Care and Recovery
• Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
• Fertility & Preconception
• Support for Pregnancy Termination

Documents

Resources

New Mexico Resources

• Doula Credentialing and Access Act
• State Plan Amendment (SPA)
• NM Medicaid Letter of Direction (LOD)
• Health Care Authority (HCA)
• New Mexico Doula Association
• 2025 Doula and Lactation Provider Managed Care Reference Guide

National resources

• (NHeLP)’s Doula Medicaid Project