Elevance Health Expands Doula Care Access to Improve Maternal Health
Indianapolis, Tuesday, 21 October 2025.
Elevance Health, previously Anthem, enhances doula care access, aiming to boost maternal outcomes by integrating holistic health management and evidence-based practices in their consumer health strategy.
Strategic Initiatives in Doula Care
Elevance Health’s initiative to expand doula care access is part of a broader strategy to integrate holistic, evidence-based healthcare practices into consumer health technology. This approach is designed to address systemic challenges in maternal health, particularly by improving outcomes through preventative care and comprehensive support during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum periods. The company’s efforts are underpinned by years of research and partnerships with doula organizations [1].
Addressing Maternal Health Disparities
The expansion of doula services by Elevance Health aligns with ongoing efforts to combat disparities in maternal health outcomes. The U.S. faces significant racial and structural inequities in maternal health, where Black women and gender-diverse birthing individuals are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White individuals [2]. By providing access to doula care, Elevance Health aims to mitigate these disparities and enhance maternal and neonatal health outcomes.
Integrating Community-Based Models
Elevance Health’s expansion of doula services is reminiscent of successful community-based models like San Francisco’s Pregnancy Village, which showcases how integrated, cross-sector perinatal care can improve accessibility and acceptability among diverse populations [3]. Such models emphasize the importance of addressing social determinants of health, including language barriers and discrimination, which are critical to improving healthcare delivery for marginalized groups.
Long-term Impact and Future Directions
As Elevance Health continues to integrate doula care into its health plans, it sets a precedent for other healthcare providers to follow suit. The initiative reflects a growing recognition of the value of non-medical interventions in enhancing health outcomes. The long-term impact of such strategies is expected to transform healthcare systems by reducing maternal mortality rates and fostering a more equitable healthcare landscape [1][2][3].