5 ways to be able to afford a doula that you might not have thought of.
Great! You have decided to hire a doula, but now how do you afford to pay for her? With the costs of everyday life going up, it can be stressful to think of adding in one more expense. I decided to do some investigating into ways to help families be able to afford this service. I was surprised and thrilled by what I found and thought I would share with all the Queens out there.
Talk to your doula about your situation and ask if she is willing to make payment arrangements. Will she break it up into several payments so that you do not have to worry about coming up with the full amount? I am more than happy to work with families by breaking up the expenses into smaller more manageable pieces.
2. There is financing available through www.ally.com which will allow you to get the care you need now and pay over time.
3. Quite a few insurance companies are covering doula care now and if you have HSA, FSA or HRA they will sometimes cover the cost or part of the cost, especially for high-risk queens on bed rest. Check with your insurance company first and then you can check also check your Health savings plan. There are certain steps that you will need to take but they are pretty simple so don’t let that discourage you.
Step 1- Pay doula in full
Step 2- Receive invoice
Step 3- Submit invoice to insurance or HSA provider.
The invoice should include the doula's name and address, tax id number, date and location of services provided, CPT code for services, diagnosis code and doula signature. If you have been ordered on bedrest during pregnancy then you can include a letter of necessity from your doctor and it will almost always be covered. I have all the codes so I can easily help you with this step if you need.
4. Register for doula care on your baby registry and let your friends and family know so they can help if they choose. I have gift certificates available in varying amounts so feel free to send your friends and family to the website to give a specific amount and then you can choose the package that would work best for you.
5. Breastfeeding your baby is another way to reduce household costs so you can afford the extra pair of hands to help you around the house. The cost of baby formula is around $100 per month so over the course of a year you can save $1200. It helps to bond with your baby in a deeper more meaningful way and it saves you a bunch of money as well.
