Doula support linked to lower C-section rate among Medicaid moms, U study finds - Minnesota

"Women on Medicaid who give birth with the support of a trained doula are 40 percent less likely to have a Caesarean section than Medicaid recipients who have their babies without that support, according to a University of Minnesota study published Thursday [Feb. 14th] in the American Journal of Public Health.

"This finding suggests that providing Medicaid coverage for birth doulas might save taxpayers money. State Medicaid programs pay for almost half of all U.S. births. In the United States, a C-section costs, on average, about $10,000 more than a vaginal birth ($27,866 versus $18,329 in 2010). Among Medicaid births, the average costs are $9,100 for a vaginal birth and $13,600 for a C-section...."

http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2013/02/doula-support-linked-lower-c-section-rate-among-medicaid-moms-u-study-finds