Moving evidence into action

This month’s “Read on Washington”, available only to AcademyHealth members, includes updates on the ongoing government shutdown, new waves of layoffs, reporting on anti-science legislation in statehouses, and more.

As the U.S. faces a worsening maternal health crisis, new federal Medicaid reforms could widen racial, economic, and geographic disparities in pregnancy and postpartum care, warns a Health Affairs Forefront article by AcademyHealth researchers. Citing findings from the Doula Research for Equitable Advances in Medicaid Pregnancy Health (DREAM) project, the authors caution that proposed changes may erode recent gains in maternal health equity and urge policymakers to protect access to essential care.