health of birthing people and their babies. While the Affordable Care Act mandated maternity care as an essential health benefit and Medicaid continues to provide coverage for almost half of all births across the country, people still struggle to access adequate health care during their pregnancies. The National Health Law Program works with advocates at the state and federal level to push for high-quality prenatal and postpartum care, labor and delivery services, and for seamless health coverage during transitions for people who become pregnant and after their pregnancies. We also work with state and federal advocates to support laws and policies to advance health equity, address racial disparities in health, and improve maternal and infant health outcomes through culturally congruent, patient-centered care. For example, our Doula Medicaid Project seeks to improve health outcomes for pregnant Medicaid enrollees by ensuring that all pregnant, postpartum, and post-pregnancy people enrolled in Medicaid who want access to a doula can have one.
