Podcast Summary: Expanding Access to Doula Care to Improve Maternal Health

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode: Expanding Access to Doula Care to Improve Maternal Health with Dr. Cynthia Brown
Air Date: December 13, 2025
Host: Liz Kaslow
Guest: Dr. Cynthia Brown – Medical Director and Clinical Lead for Women’s Health, Elevance Health

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Elevance Health’s groundbreaking move to expand doula services from Medicaid into select employer-sponsored health plans, aimed at improving maternal health outcomes and tackling disparities. Dr. Cynthia Brown discusses the development, evidence base, and long-range benefits of doula care, offering both data-driven analysis and practical insights for healthcare leaders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Cynthia Brown’s Background & Role (00:22 – 01:38)

• Dr. Brown, an OB/GYN with 20 years of clinical experience, now directs women’s health initiatives at Elevance Health.

• She focuses on improving outcomes, addressing health inequities, and optimizing the healthcare experience for women, especially around maternal health.

• Collaborates broadly within Elevance (clinical teams, health plans, public policy), evaluating evidence and designing scalable programs such as doula care.

  “My purpose here is to advocate for women…addressing inequities, and overall improving the experiences for women across all stages of their health journey with a special emphasis on maternal health.”
  — Dr. Cynthia Brown (00:29)

Expanding Doula Coverage: Medicaid to Employer Plans (01:40 – 04:44)

• Rationale: United States maternal health complications are on the rise; both outcomes and care experience need bolstering.

• Evidence Review: Doula care frequently emerges in research as highly effective—providing emotional, physical, and educational support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

• Key Outcomes with Doula Care:

  • Higher rates of carrying to full term
  • Fewer low birth weight infants
  • Reduced NICU admissions
  • Fewer C-sections
  • Improved postpartum mental health

  “Our public policy institute conducted some research studies and the results showed that women who had doula support were more likely to carry to full term…had reduced NICU admissions, they had less C sections, and then they had better postpartum mental health.”
  — Dr. Cynthia Brown (02:50)

• Implementation Journey:

  • Initial pilots focused on Medicaid populations most in need, showing clear improvement in confidence, understanding, and birthing outcomes.
  • Needed to build credentialing, reimbursement, and network infrastructure to scale.
  • As of 2025, members in select employer-sponsored health plans can select doulas as in-network providers.

Doula Care & Racial Disparities in Maternal Health (04:44 – 06:19)

• Maternal health disparities cut across income and education; lack of feeling heard/support is a key issue.

• Doulas, especially those from the community, foster trust and create culturally aligned care.

• Access expansion removes insurance barriers and provides support proven most impactful in underserved groups.

  “Families who work with doulas often have smoother experiences…better emotional well being, and this is even stronger…in underserved communities, especially when paired with community-based doulas who understand their culture and their language.”
  — Dr. Cynthia Brown (05:21)

• The key mechanism: Doula-client trust leads to women voicing needs and concerns, crucial to complication prevention.

Long-Term Value and Cost Savings (06:20 – 07:41)

• Mechanism of Savings: Supported women engage earlier, follow care plans, and address issues before escalation.

• Health Outcomes with Financial Impact:

  • Reduced C-sections, preterm births, and NICU admissions all cut significant healthcare costs.
  • Support extends to mental health and substance use issues—two leading causes of postpartum maternal deaths.

  “Mental health and substance use are two of the leading causes of postpartum maternal deaths in this country…So by having doulas involved, that’s creating meaningful long term value.”
  — Dr. Cynthia Brown (06:54)

• Bottom line: Doulas create safer pregnancies, healthier babies, and more empowering experiences for mothers.

Advice for Healthcare Industry Leaders (07:42 – 08:56)

• Dr. Brown strongly encourages organizations to consider doula coverage—noting “it works” and is backed by Elevance’s research and pilots.

• Doulas provide crucial emotional anchoring and help women navigate the complexities of the healthcare system.

• Expanding access is a vital opportunity to “elevate both the member experience and health outcomes for moms and babies.”

  “Pregnancy is such an incredibly vulnerable and stressful time…members just want to feel heard, supported and guided…Doulas really help provide that continuous presence.”
  — Dr. Cynthia Brown (08:13)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Social support is one of the most consistent predictors of better health outcomes.”
  — Dr. Cynthia Brown (02:27)

• “This shared understanding then builds trust. And when women feel safe and understood, they’re more likely to speak up about their needs and their concerns. And this is really the key to preventing complications.”
  — Dr. Cynthia Brown (05:48)

• “We advocate for doula care at Elevance Health because it works...It’s clear that doulas help women access the care that they need. The result is healthier, safer pregnancies and deliveries.”
  — Dr. Cynthia Brown (07:56)

Key Takeaways by Segment

• 00:22 – 01:38 — Dr. Brown outlines her mission and women’s health leadership.
• 01:40 – 04:44 — Evidence and infrastructure for scaling doula care; announcement of employer plan coverage.
• 04:44 – 06:19 — Doulas as a solution to maternal health disparities, especially when community-based.
• 06:20 – 07:41 — Long-term member and cost benefits of doula coverage.
• 07:42 – 08:56 — Call to action for leaders: invest in doula care for measurable improvements in maternal and family health.

Conclusion

This episode elucidates the critical role doulas play in maternal care, how legacy insurance barriers are being dismantled, and the quantifiable improvements in maternal outcomes. Dr. Cynthia Brown’s expertise and passion shine as she makes a compelling case for industry-wide expansion of doula access—a call echoed by Elevance’s research and piloted results.