Walmart is expanding healthcare coverage for employees who want to enlist the services of a doula, a person trained to help pregnant women during pregnancies/delivery, to address the racial inequities in maternal care. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, Black women are 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-associated reasons than white women, and this disparity is mostly attributed to the variations in the quality of healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, and structural racism. Meanwhile, employing a doula as part of a birthing crew decreases the C-sections delivery rates by 50%, shortens the delivery/labor time by 25%, and reduces the need for medical intervention by 50% suggests the data provided by the National Black Doulas Association. 

Walmart stated that they chose to extend the coverage to Louisiana, Indiana, and Illinois due to the potential for instant impact for employees employed in these states. The company also added that in Louisiana, the mortality rate is 5-fold higher for Black moms in comparison to white moms. Meanwhile, in Indiana, 33 counties do not have OB-GYN services.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/walmart-expands-health-services-to-address-racial-inequality/92402251 )