Benefits and Covered Services

The California Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS) defines doulas as birth workers. Doulas support people before, during, and after pregnancy. Doulas are not licensed, and they do not require supervision. They can help you:

• Talk about your health care with your providers
• Get health education
• Get physical, emotional, and other support that is not medical
• Get support during a miscarriage, stillbirth, and abortion

• First checkup (1 visit)
• Up to 8 more visits before, during, or after pregnancy
• Support during labor and birth, stillbirth, abortion, or miscarriage
• Up to 2 sets of 3-hour visits after the end of a pregnancy

You can only get doula services during:

• Pregnancy
• Labor and birth, including stillbirth
• Miscarriage
• Abortion
• Within 1 year of the end of your pregnancy

You can meet with a doula online (via telehealth) or in-person in any setting such as:

• Your home
• At office visits
• In a hospital
• At birth centers

Yes. Doulas can teach classes at no cost to members.

• Belly binding (traditional/ceremonial)
• Birthing ceremonies (e.g., sealing, closing the bones, etc.)
• Diagnosing a medical condition
• Group classes on carrying your baby
• Massage
• Photos
• Giving medical advice
• Making pills from placenta
• Shopping
• Vaginal steams
• Yoga
• Or any type of health assessment, exam, or procedure

Doulas cannot give more services that are already covered by Medi-Cal. Your Primary Care Provider* (PCP), midwife, obstetrician (pregnancy doctor) may give you more services. Or they can refer you to a provider who can offer you more services. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Behavioral health services
• Belly binding after cesarean section (c-section) by a health worker
• Case management
• Childbirth education group classes
• Health education
• Hypnotherapy
• Lactation support, group classes, and supplies
• Nutrition support
• Transit
• Community Supports services

*Your Primary Care Provider (PCP) is your doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner in charge of your health care.

SFHP will work with you and our doctors and midwives to make sure there are no restrictions to you getting the support you need from your doula at the hospital or doctor’s office.

No, you must work with a doula who is partnered with San Francisco Health Plan. You may search our online Provider Directory at sfhp.org to view our doulas.

Call SFHP Customer Service at 1(800) 288-5555 or 1(415) 547-7800, TTY 1(888) 883-7347.

No, all services given are at no cost to Medi-Cal members.

Yes. Please contact your doula to arrange for an interpreter during your appointments. You may also contact Customer Service at 1(415) 547-7800 (weekdays from 8:30am- 5:30pm), TTY 1(888) 883-7347 if you need help finding a doula.

Medi-Cal members with SFHP insurance who are pregnant right now or were pregnant in the past year can get a doula.

Yes, to get a doula with SFHP you must first have a written recommendation. You can get this from a doctor, midwife, Nurse Practitioner (NP), Physician Assistant (PA), Registered Nurse (RN), Registered Pharmacist, Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). The recommending provider does not need to be enrolled in Medi Cal or be a Network Provider within SFHP.

You can get a recommendation for doula services if you are pregnant or were pregnant in the past year. Talk with your PCP if you would like to get doula services.

The first recommendation for doula services includes:

• First checkup (1 visit)
• Up to 8 more visits before, during, or after pregnancy
• Support during labor and birth, stillbirth, abortion, or miscarriage
• Up to 2 sets of 3-hour visits after the end of a pregnancy

Contact any of licensed providers below to ask for a recommendation for doula services:

• Physician
• Nurse Practitioner (NP)
• Physician Assistant (PA)
• Registered Nurse (RN)
• Registered Pharmacist, Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Midwife (LM, CNM)

Yes. A second recommendation is needed for more visits after pregnancy. The second recommendation allows up to 9 extra visits after pregnancy.

You can get 1 doula visit per day. You can only have 1 doula visit at a time unless it is during labor and birth. On the day of labor and birth, 1 prenatal visit or 1 postpartum visit can also be given. This visit can be for stillbirth, abortion, or miscarriage support. This visit can also be given by a different doula.

You can only have 1 doula at a time for each service. But you may have more than 1 doula who gives you support at different stages of your pregnancy. For example, you may have 1 doula who gives you support during your pregnancy and another doula who gives support during labor and birth, or after pregnancy. Each doula will have to be partnered with SFHP.