The team plans to ask for an exemption to the city's climate law that would allow it to add a natural gas-burning plant, which is worrying environmentalists and lawmakers.
In 2021, the D.C. Council made doula care free for Medicaid families. These care workers support parents through pregnancy and labor, and have been shown to improve birth outcomes for low-income women — potentially vital in a city with some of the country's worst maternal health disparities.
Although the bill passed with much fanfare, local doulas tell The 51st reporter Sam Delgado that the policy's implementation has been frustrating — with endless paperwork, reimbursement delays, and insufficient support navigating a confusing credentialing process.
And while over 3,100 births were covered by Medicaid in D.C. in 2025 alone, only 64 Medicaid beneficiaries have used the doula benefit between fiscal years 2024 and 2026, according to data shared with The 51st. Meanwhile, some doulas have faced challenges getting paid for their work with Medicaid patients.
Click below to find out what's going wrong and how it might be fixed.
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