How to Use Your Santa Clara Family Health Plan to Get a Doula—Step-by-Step Guide
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If you’re pregnant and have Medi-Cal through Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP), you may qualify for free doula support—including help during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery.
Many members don’t know this benefit exists, but it's already active. This guide walks you through how to access it and get matched with a credentialed doula from Melancentric.
Step-by-Step Guide to Getting a Doula with Santa Clara Family Health Plan
Step 1: Confirm You Have the Right Coverage
Take a look at your insurance card. If you’re covered by:
Santa Clara Family Health Plan – Medi-Cal
and you live in Santa Clara County, you likely qualify for no-cost doula services under California’s Medi-Cal benefit.
Step 2: What Doula Services Are Covered by SCFHP?
Santa Clara Family Health Plan covers:
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Lactation support
An initial 90-minute visit to answer questions and create a birth plan
Up to 8 prenatal and postpartum visits:
A doula can be there at the time of labor/birth to offer support.
Doulas can also support pregnancy that ends in a stillbirth, abortion, or miscarriage.
Up to 2 postpartum visits:
A doula can talk to members about breast-feeding, mental health, sleeping patterns or any other concerns they may have.
Visits can last up to 3 hours.
Connecting members to community-based resources
These visits are completely covered by Medi-Cal—no co-pays, no referrals required.
Step 3: Choose a Doula Who Is Approved with SCFHP
Melancentric is a credentialed provider with Santa Clara Family Health Plan.
That means you can contact us directly—no referral from your OB is necessary.
We’ll confirm your eligibility, explain your benefits, and match you with a trained doula.
Step 4: Book Your Free Consultation with Melancentric
Getting started is easy:
Email us at info.thefullspectrumdoula.org
We’ll walk you through what’s covered, answer any questions, and help you begin services right away.
Step 5: Get Full-Spectrum Support from a Trained Doula
Melancentric doulas are trained in:
Labor and delivery in hospital settings
Physical and emotional coping strategies
Postpartum healing and newborn support
Reproductive loss and compassionate care
We are here to support you fully—before, during, and after birth.
