A New Blueprint for Maternal Health: Tech and Pharma Unite

NEW YORK, NY – June 23, 2026

In a move that signals a significant strategic shift in the fight against America’s maternal health crisis, pharmaceutical giant Merck and digital health innovator Mae have announced a major collaboration. Through its Merck for Mothers initiative, the company is backing Mae's tech-enabled platform to expand and sustain the community-based doula workforce across four high-risk states, aiming to create a scalable blueprint for tackling deep-seated health disparities.

The partnership moves beyond the scope of typical pilot programs, representing a long-term structural investment in the birth worker economy. By combining financial backing with sophisticated technological infrastructure, the initiative aims to professionalize the doula workforce and integrate it more seamlessly into the healthcare system, particularly for Medicaid populations who face the most dire outcomes.

The Anatomy of a Crisis

The United States holds the grim distinction of having the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations, a crisis disproportionately borne by communities of color. For every 100,000 live births, dozens of mothers die, and for Black women, the risk is three to four times higher than for their white counterparts. This is not a distant statistic; it is a recurring tragedy playing out in hospitals and homes across the country.

The four states targeted by the Merck and Mae initiative—California, Georgia, Illinois, and Texas—serve as a microcosm of this national emergency. Georgia, for instance, has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the country, with Black women facing staggering risks. Texas and Illinois report similarly alarming racial disparities in both maternal death and severe morbidity. Even in California, a state that has made progress in reducing overall mortality, Black mothers are still far more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.

Underlying these mortality figures are high rates of medically unnecessary Cesarean sections and preterm births, both of which are more prevalent in at-risk populations. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that continuous support from a doula—a trained, non-medical professional who provides physical, emotional, and informational support—can significantly improve these outcomes. Studies have shown doula care is linked to lower C-section rates, reduced instances of preterm birth, and better management of maternal mental health needs. By offering advocacy and culturally congruent support, doulas empower birthing people to navigate a complex and often intimidating medical system.

A Structural Shift in Strategy

For years, efforts to integrate doulas have often been limited to small-scale, temporary pilot programs. The collaboration between Merck for Mothers and Mae represents a fundamental departure from this model.

“Through Merck for Mothers, we are committed to helping improve maternal health outcomes in the U.S. and globally, especially among underserved communities,” said Jacquelyn Caglia, Head, Merck for Mothers, in a statement. “We are proud to support Mae in strengthening the doula workforce and helping to make sustainable improvements in maternal health across the U.S.”

The initiative’s strength lies in its two-pronged approach. Merck for Mothers brings its global experience and resources from years of investing in programs to strengthen healthcare systems and address social determinants of health. This isn't just a grant; it's a strategic investment aimed at creating lasting infrastructure.

Complementing this is Mae, a digital health solution on a mission to provide complete pregnancy care with culturally congruent, on-the-ground support. Mae’s tech-enabled platform serves as the operational backbone of the partnership. It is designed to connect expectant mothers with doulas while also providing critical infrastructure for the doulas themselves—streamlining risk assessment, coordinating care, and, crucially, handling the administrative burdens of insurance participation.

“Over the past five years, I have seen firsthand how deeply impactful community-doula participation in care has been to the high-risk mothers Mae serves, and also how complex and burdensome Medicaid participation can be for this workforce,” explained Maya Hardigan, Founder and CEO, Mae. “To combat longstanding disparities in outcomes... we strive to make this experience easier.”

Navigating a Patchwork of Policy

The choice of California, Georgia, Illinois, and Texas was highly strategic, as each state presents a unique regulatory and political landscape for doula services. The partnership’s ability to adapt its approach in these varied environments will be key to developing a truly replicable national blueprint.

In Illinois, Medicaid began covering certified doula services in early 2024, creating a clear pathway for reimbursement. However, doulas must navigate a state certification process and enroll as official Medicaid providers. Similarly, California has offered one of the nation's most comprehensive Medi-Cal benefits for doulas since 2023, yet adoption has been slow. Reports indicate that by late last year, fewer than 200 individual doulas had successfully completed the complex provider enrollment process, highlighting a significant administrative barrier that technology like Mae’s is designed to overcome.

The situation is more nascent in Georgia and Texas. Georgia is currently exploring pilot programs and debating legislation to establish Medicaid coverage, with several bills introduced over the past few years. The insights gathered from the Merck and Mae initiative could prove invaluable in shaping the state’s future policy. In Texas, a major step was taken in late 2024 when Medicaid authorized doulas to provide and be reimbursed for case management services, though core labor and delivery support is not yet a covered benefit. Ongoing legislative efforts aim to change that.

By operating across this spectrum—from established coverage to emerging policy—the initiative will gather critical data on what it takes to build and sustain a doula workforce under different conditions. It aims to provide the operational support that turns policy into practice, ensuring that when a state approves doula coverage, a trained and administratively capable workforce is ready to meet the demand.

Empowering the Birth Worker Economy

Beyond policy and technology, this collaboration is fundamentally about people. It is an investment in the doulas who stand on the front lines of the maternal health crisis. For too long, many community doulas, particularly those serving low-income clients, have faced an untenable choice between their passion and financial stability. Inconsistent client flow, low pay, and the labyrinthine process of billing insurance have made the profession unsustainable for many.

"The work is emotionally demanding and logistically complex," noted one health policy analyst. "Expecting doulas to also be expert Medicaid billers without providing them the right tools is a recipe for burnout and workforce attrition."

The partnership directly confronts these issues by funding training, professional development, and, most importantly, providing the tech-enabled administrative support to handle the complexities of Medicaid participation. By offloading this burden, Mae’s platform allows doulas to focus on what they do best: providing compassionate, continuous care to mothers and babies.

This focus on professionalization aims to transform doula work from a calling into a sustainable career. By building a robust, diverse, and economically secure doula workforce, the initiative not only expands access to care for mothers but also creates economic opportunity within the very communities most affected by health disparities. This structural investment in the birth worker economy is designed to create a virtuous cycle, where improved support for doulas leads directly to improved outcomes for families, generating the data and momentum needed to drive further policy change across the United States.