This New YC-Backed Startup Is Making It Easy For Doulas To Accept Health Insurance
Loula, a Y Combinator-backed startup, has officially launched with a mission to expand access to doula care by helping providers accept health insurance. The software platform and national doula network also manages credentialing, contracting, and billing, streamlining operations so doulas can focus on patient care.
Since its launch in February, the company has expanded from 30 to 135 doulas, served 400 families, and facilitated over 2,000 doula visits. It is experiencing growth of over 50% month-over-month, according to its founder, Lindsey Redd.
Supporting Doulas
Doulas are trained professionals who give expectant parents and families physical, emotional, and informational support before, during, and after childbirth. Though many doulas aren’t medically trained, they provide crucial guidance and advocacy during the birthing process.
As doulas usually work outside of the traditional healthcare system, they often experience difficulty when trying to accept insurance. This is where Loula comes in, as it handles the administrative process for doulas, allowing them to focus on supporting their clients.
“We’ll do the entire billing process for you. All you have to do is submit your visits on the Loula Portal,” it says on their website.
About Loula
The startup launched in February, starting with around 30 doulas. “I kept the launch quiet — unsure of how it would go and honestly nervous about how successful it would be […] As it turns out, there was no need to worry,” Redd said in a LinkedIn post. Loula is currently only available in California, but hopes to expand to other states.
The startup was founded by Lindsey Redd, who is also a co-founder of Onu, a developer-first program designed to help engineers have a smoother workflow. She studied computer science at Stanford and was a software engineer at Lyft and Stripe.
“This is only the beginning! I’m so proud of the Loula team and the work we’re doing to empower independent doulas and doula groups to grow their practices and support birthing folks on their perinatal journeys,” Redd says.
Image: Linsey Redd
