Breaking New Ground: First TRICARE-Approved Doula in Middle Georgia Ready to Support Military Families

Original Post August 26, 2024:

On January 1, 2022, the Federal Register announced a significant milestone for military families: TRICARE, the health insurance program for service members and their dependents, would begin reimbursing for continuous labor support and six pre/postpartum visits from an approved doula as part of their new pilot program. While this initiative is groundbreaking, the application process has been anything but straightforward.

As a military (now Veteran) spouse, I’m deeply committed to removing financial barriers for service members and their families. However, like many of you, I needed to ensure that I could sustain my work. Becoming an in-network provider wasn’t an option for me, but I wasn’t ready to give up.

I spent countless hours on the phone and emailing with TRICARE East and doulas across the country, diving into the complexities of participating versus nonparticipating providers, in-network versus out-of-network options, and the ins and outs of balanced billing.

After years of effort, including cross-certifying with an approved organization and submitting all the necessary documentation, I finally received confirmation from TRICARE East — I am now officially a TRICARE non-network, non-participating Certified Labor Doula (CLD)!

This means that active-duty members and their families can now submit invoices to TRICARE for reimbursement of my services. It’s a huge step forward in making doula support more accessible to military families.

There’s still much to learn about doula support and TRICARE, and it will be a slow process that we’ll navigate together. If you’re stationed at Robins AFB, I’d be honored to support you during your labor and delivery.

In the meantime, feel free to share this post and let me know your thoughts on TRICARE’s new policies. I’m eager to hear your concerns, questions, and excitement!

PS: Learn more about Tricare Doula Services HERE!

Update: September 6, 2024

I have an important update regarding my doula services. I am pleased to announce that, as of today, I am now a participating non-network doula. This means I can work with clients through their insurance plans by filing claims directly with Tricare, providing greater flexibility and convenience.

Additionally, I have revised my payment policy. Moving forward, payment upfront will no longer be required. Instead, payments will be processed directly through Tricare according to the new terms.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding. If you have any questions about these changes or how they may affect your services, please feel free to reach out.