Illinois Code § 5-18.5

§ 5-18.5.

Perinatal doula and evidence-based home visiting services. (a) As used in this Section: "Home visiting" means a voluntary, evidence-based strategy used to support pregnant people, infants, and young children and their caregivers to promote infant, child, and maternal health, to foster educational development and school readiness, and to help prevent child abuse and neglect. Home visitors are trained professionals whose visits and activities focus on promoting strong parent-child attachment to foster healthy child development. "Perinatal doula" means a trained provider who provides regular, voluntary physical, emotional, and educational support, but not medical or midwife care, to pregnant and birthing persons before, during, and after childbirth, otherwise known as the perinatal period. "Perinatal doula training" means any doula training that focuses on providing support throughout the prenatal, labor and delivery, or postpartum period, and reflects the type of doula care that the doula seeks to provide. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, perinatal doula services and evidence-based home visiting services shall be covered under the medical assistance program, subject to appropriation, for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance under this Article. Perinatal doula services include regular visits beginning in the prenatal period and continuing into the postnatal period, inclusive of continuous support during labor and delivery, that support healthy pregnancies and positive birth outcomes. Perinatal doula services may be embedded in an existing program, such as evidence-based home visiting. Perinatal doula services provided during the prenatal period may be provided weekly, services provided during the labor and delivery period may be provided for the entire duration of labor and the time immediately following birth, and services provided during the postpartum period may be provided up to 12 months postpartum. (b-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, beginning January 1, 2023, licensed certified professional midwife services and, beginning January 1, 2025, certified professional midwife services shall be covered under the medical assistance program, subject to appropriation, for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance under this Article. The Department shall consult with midwives on reimbursement rates for midwifery services. (c) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall adopt rules to administer this Section. In this rulemaking, the Department shall consider the expertise of and consult with doula program experts, doula training providers, practicing doulas, and home visiting experts, along with State agencies implementing perinatal doula services and relevant bodies under the Illinois Early Learning Council. This body of experts shall inform the Department on the credentials necessary for perinatal doula and home visiting services to be eligible for Medicaid reimbursement and the rate of reimbursement for home visiting and perinatal doula services in the prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum periods. Every 2 years, the Department shall assess the rates of reimbursement for perinatal doula and home visiting services and adjust rates accordingly. (d) The Department shall seek such State plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement this Section and shall secure federal financial participation for expenditures made by the Department in accordance with this Section. (Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21; 102-1037, eff. 6-2-22; 103-720, eff. 1-1-25.)