Is a Doula Covered by Insurance in New York? Yes — Here's How
Is a Doula Covered by Insurance in New York? Yes — Here's How
This is one of the most-searched questions about birth doulas in New York — and the answer is better than most people expect.
Doula services are covered under multiple programs available to New York families. Here is every option, explained clearly.
New York State Medicaid — Doula Coverage
New York State made history in 2023 by becoming one of the first states to add birth doula services as a covered Medicaid benefit.
If you are enrolled in New York Medicaid (including Medicaid Managed Care plans), you are eligible for coverage of:
Up to 3 prenatal doula visits
Labor and delivery doula support
Up to 3 postpartum doula visits
Reimbursement rate: Medicaid reimburses doulas at a set rate per service type. Families enrolled in Medicaid pay $0 out of pocket for covered doula services.
How to access it: Your doula must be enrolled as a Medicaid provider. At YourCherish, we are enrolled in the NY Medicaid doula program. Contact us to confirm your coverage.
This program is specifically designed to address birth equity in New York — where Black and Brown mothers face disproportionately high maternal mortality rates. Access to a doula is now a right for every Medicaid-enrolled family in New York.
Carrot Fertility
Carrot Fertility is an employer-sponsored fertility and family-building benefit offered by hundreds of major companies. Many NYC employers — including tech, finance, and media companies — include Carrot in their benefits package.
What Carrot covers for doulas: Carrot's "Carrot Cash" funds can typically be applied to birth doula services. The specific eligible expenses depend on your employer's Carrot plan design.
How to check: Log into your Carrot account at get-carrot.com → check your covered benefits under "Birth" or "Maternity."
How to use it at YourCherish: We are a Carrot-compatible provider. Contact us and we'll provide the documentation your Carrot account requires for reimbursement.
Common NYC employers offering Carrot: Google, Meta, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Spotify, Condé Nast, and hundreds more.
Maven Clinic
Maven Clinic is a women's and family health platform offered as an employee benefit. Maven covers virtual and in-person doula support through its network.
How to access: If your employer offers Maven, log in at mavenclinic.com and search for doula services under "Maternity Support."
YourCherish and Maven: We work with Maven Clinic clients. Contact us with your Maven benefit details and we'll coordinate billing.
Cleo
Cleo is a family health benefit platform (similar to Maven) offered by employers including Amazon, Salesforce, and others. Cleo benefits can typically be applied to doula support.
How to check: Log in at meetcleo.com → check your covered benefits.
HSA and FSA (Health Savings Account / Flexible Spending Account)
Birth doula services are eligible expenses under most HSA and FSA plans. This means you can pay for your doula using pre-tax dollars.
How it works:
Pay your doula invoice as normal
Submit the receipt to your HSA/FSA administrator for reimbursement
The reimbursement comes from your pre-tax account balance
What you need: A receipt or invoice from your doula that describes the service as "birth doula services" or "labor support." We provide properly formatted invoices for HSA/FSA reimbursement.
Postpartum doula services are also typically HSA/FSA eligible.
NYC Free Doula Programs
Beyond insurance, New York City has several programs that provide free or low-cost doula support:
NYC Health + Hospitals Doula Program: Free doula services for families delivering at NYC H+H hospitals (Bellevue, Elmhurst, Kings County, Lincoln, Metropolitan, and others). Contact your OB or midwife for a referral.
Ancient Song Doula Services: Brooklyn-based, serves Medicaid and uninsured families, focuses on Black and Brown communities.
Choices in Childbirth: NYC nonprofit, maintains a list of low-cost and sliding-scale doula resources.
Important note: Free and subsidized programs provide real, valuable support. The difference between a free program and a private doula like YourCherish is availability, continuity, and the ability to choose your specific doula. Free programs often have waitlists and you may not know your doula before labor begins.
Combined Photography + Doula Packages
If you're booking both doula support and photography at YourCherish, we can structure your invoice to maximize your insurance and benefits eligibility:
Doula services portion → HSA/FSA eligible, Carrot/Maven reimbursable
Photography services portion → not eligible
We provide clearly itemized invoices. Contact us to discuss how to structure your package for maximum reimbursement.
How to Check Your Coverage Right Now
Medicaid: Contact your managed care plan and ask if birth doula services are covered. Ask for "doula services under the 2023 NY Medicaid doula benefit."
Employer benefits: Log into your benefits portal and search "doula" — or email HR and ask specifically if Carrot, Maven, or Cleo are included.
HSA/FSA: Check your account balance at fsa.com or your administrator's portal. Doula services are generally eligible without needing pre-approval.
Questions? We help our clients navigate benefits. Contact us and we'll walk through your specific situation.
YourCherish provides DONA-certified birth and postpartum doula support throughout New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut. We are enrolled in NY Medicaid and work with Carrot Fertility, Maven Clinic, Cleo, HSA, and FSA.
About the Author
Olga Zinner is a DONA-certified birth doula and founder of YourCherish, based in New York City.
Published: April 2026