Support on Delivery Day
Doulas play a crucial role in supporting clients through labor and birth, but their role is distinctly different from that of medical professionals. While doulas provide emotional, physical, and informational support, they do not perform any clinical tasks or make medical decisions. Understanding this distinction ensures doulas can work effectively within their scope while collaborating with healthcare providers.
The Doula’s Role During Birth
Doulas provide non-medical support to help clients feel empowered and comfortable during labor by offering:
Emotional Support – Reassurance, encouragement, and a calming presence.
Physical Comfort – Breathing techniques, relaxation, positioning, massage, and counterpressure.
Advocacy & Communication – Helping clients express birth preferences and ask informed questions.
Education – Explaining labor stages, common procedures, and available options.
Partner & Family Support – Guiding birth partners in supporting the client..
While doulas do not perform medical tasks, they play an essential role in enhancing the birth experience, improving comfort, and ensuring clients feel supported throughout labor. By staying within their scope and working alongside medical providers, doulas help create a positive, well-rounded birth experience for clients.
Allowed Visit Types on Delivery Day
Due to health plan guidelines, doulas can only bill for one additional visit on the day of delivery, in addition to birth support. This additional visit can be either a prenatal visit or a postpartum visit (including an extended postpartum visit), but not both.
Key Billing Rules for Delivery Day:
If a prenatal visit occurs on the same day as birth support, a postpartum visit cannot be billed that day. The earliest it can take place is the following day.
If a postpartum (or extended postpartum) visit occurs on the same day as birth support, a prenatal visit cannot also be billed that day.
💡 Remember these delivery day rules:
✅ Prenatal Visit + Labor & Delivery Support on the same day
✅ Labor & Delivery Support + Postpartum Visit on the same day
🚫 Prenatal Visit + Labor & Delivery Support + Postpartum Visit on the same day
This guideline ensures compliance with health plan rules and prevents claim denials. When scheduling visits around the client’s due date, doulas should keep this billing limitation in mind.
Providing Doula Services at Home Births
Loula permits doula support for home births only if a licensed medical professional (e.g., OB-GYN or midwife) is present.
You must report the medical professional’s NPI number when submitting the visit for billing.
We strongly advise you to check with your professional liability insurance carrier to confirm whether home birth doula support is covered under your policy.
Important Notes:
If your liability insurance does not cover home birth doula support, we strongly recommend that you either refrain from providing home birth support or secure professional liability insurance that does include this coverage.
Loula will not be held liable for any complications that arise during home birth doula support.