www.kathyobrien.org
Home of 4 Hearts Services
Third Party Reimbursement
Finally! Also for Hypnobabies!
Flex accounts are VERY reliable for reimbursements!!
Coverage is starting to reimburse, with some insurance more than others for the moment!!!
One of the goals of DONA (Doulas of North America) (The
Premier Doula Organization in the Nation) is to make dou
la
care accessible to all women, regardless of ability to pay.
1. I encourage you to ask your Primary Healthcare Provider for a prescription for a Certified Doula for pain management in Labor. If doula care were a standard medical benefit covered by third party payers, many more women would be able to take advantage of doula services. While doula care is non-medical in nature, it has medical and cost benefits that have been proven in numerous andomized controlled trials. DONA believes it is in the best financial interests of those who pay for health care to reimburse the cost of doula care. In 1997, DONA formed a third party reimbursement committee to assist members to successfully approach third party payers.
2. Ask your Insurance to Precertify your Certified Doula, ask your Primary Healthcare Provider to do the same.
3. A receipt from your Doula with the proper codes should be submitted by you to your insurer after full payment to your Doula has been made by you.
4. Repeat this step up to 5 times if necessary, most insurers do not know what a Doula is and a no from your insurer does not mean that you do not have a right to be heard as a Consumer.
5. If you are offered a hearing on this request for coverage, please accept, most Insurers allow conference calling for convenience and you are able to have witnesses testify on your behalf, also through conference calling.
6. Do not hesitate to write local resources about your experience both with your birth and response to your requests for reimbursement for Professional Labor or Postpartum Support.
7. Most importantly, if you care to have the choice for Professional Labor Support easily available to your children when they care to give birth, the work you devote to attaining coverage for yourself now will greatly contribute to this result.
