Jesse Remer was proud to be the Doula Expert on this project showing doula care improves birth outcomes. Jesse supported the Stork Club Doula Study and Doula Program promoting employer based commercial insurance benefits: Birth doulas improve maternal outcomes. Doulas are trained non-clinical birth companions who provide continuous emotional, physical, and informational support throughout a person’s preparation for birth, during labor, and postpartum. Research demonstrates that doula services are associated with better birth outcomes, such as lower rates of cesarean sections, shorter duration of labor, fewer instances of instrument-assisted birth, fewer babies born underweight, better Apgar scores, and more breastfeeding.
Health plans have not covered doulas. Recognized as a first-line, high-impact solution, doula care is being implemented in many states under Medicaid. However, until now, individuals covered by employer-sponsored health plans were left out: finding, vetting, and paying for doula services out of pocket was their only choice.
Stork Club offers the first managed doula program integrated into employer-sponsored health plans. With Stork Club, for the first time in the US, birthing persons now can have access to a vetted network of birth doulas, a comprehensive clinically designed package of services that includes messaging, virtual and onsite visits at home, and in the labor room. All care coordination and doula matching are available through the Stork Club digital platform. Importantly, Stork Club’s doula network includes doulas with diverse identities and lived experiences, enabling better support for the varying needs of pregnant individuals.
