How to get reimbursed for doula services
1. Pay your doula in full for her services.
2. Get a receipt from your doula. The receipt will include the following information:

• The doula's identifying information
• The diagnosis code (V22.2, intrauterine pregnancy)
• The CPT code (99499, Evaluation and Management Services - Labor Support)
• The date and location services were provided
• The mother's name
• Total charge for services
• Dates and amounts of payments. (Write "paid in full" on your receipt.)

3. Submit the receipt with a claim form to your insurance or flexible spending account claims department.
4. Within a month, you should receive a response. If you receive a letter denying the claim, do not be discouraged. Prepare a new packet to resubmit to your insurance company for a secondary review, and copy everything in the packet to the insurance company's CEO explaining why you feel services should be covered (and be sure to point out how much money the insurance company saved because of the services your doula provided). In this re-submission packet, you should include the following:

• Another copy of the receipt
• A letter from you to the CEO explaining why you think this should be covered
• A letter from your doula stating the benefits of doula care
• DONA's summary paper about the research on doula care
• DONA's Position Paper: The Birth Doula's Contribution to Modern Maternity Care
• If you doctor or midwife is willing, include a letter from them stating why they feel the additional support of a doula was beneficial.

5. Be persistent. If your claim is denied upon your initial request, call and ask why. If they refer you to your policy, ask them to specify exactly what clause and what wording in your policy excludes doula services.
6. Whether you are reimbursed or not, please tell your doula what kind of response you got from your insurance company. Each time someone requests reimbursement, it tells the insurance companies that this is an important service. Since doulas save insurance companies money, they may consider requests more carefully in future. If you are reimbursed, this is good news for doulas and we always want to know!