Abortion DOULAS Act

Summary

Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to study the benefits, availability, and potential coverage of abortion doula care and report findings within 18 months. It defines abortion doula care as non‑clinical, trained support before, during, and after medication or procedural abortions. The study must use surveys, interviews, literature reviews, and expert and community input, with strict privacy protections. The report must assess impacts on patient experience and quality of care, identify access gaps (especially in underserved and rural areas), and provide policy options, including recommendations for states considering Medicaid coverage. The final report must be sent to Congress and posted publicly on HHS’s website.

Key Points

• Creates a federal study of abortion doula care’s benefits, roles, and availability across the United States.
• Defines abortion doula care as non‑clinical support before, during, and after abortions.
• Directs HHS to coordinate as needed with the Office of Minority Health and the Office on Women’s Health.
• Requires mixed research methods: surveys, interviews, literature review, and expert/community input.
• Mandates strict privacy protections by anonymizing all collected data.
• Sets an 18‑month deadline for delivering a report to Congress and publishing it online.
• Targets access challenges, with special focus on underserved and rural communities.
• Provides policy options for States considering Medicaid coverage of abortion doula care.
• Does not mandate state action or appropriate funds; it is a study and recommendations bill.
• Aims to inform future decisions on coverage, workforce development, and patient‑centered care.

Categories & Tags