Bracing for federal cuts, some states are already paring back Medicaid services

Misty Pipe (left) delivers a care package for a mom she recently supported through pregnancy, Britney WolfVoice. Pipe offers free doula care because Lame Deer — her hometown on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana — is about 100 miles from the closest hospital that delivers babies.

Paying for doulas to help birthing moms in maternity care deserts was a priority for Montana. But it halted the plan amid a budget shortfall and fears over coming federal Medicaid cuts.

(Image credit: Katheryn Houghton/KFF Health News)