The Evidence Effect: Medicaid Coverage After Birth Saves Lives
This downloadable PDF was designed as a social media image carousel to share the impact of postpartum Medicaid coverage extension and how this research can answer real-world problems.
The Evidence Effect: Medicaid Coverage After Birth Saves Lives
The Challenge: Many mothers lose Medicaid insurance within two months if their state does not provide continuous postpartum Medicaid coverage. About 60 percent of pregnancy-related deaths happen in the first year after birth.
The Research: During the COVID-19 public health emergency, states were required to keep people on Medicaid under a law called the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFRCA). FFCRA allowed pregnant people to have insurance coverage after the birth of their baby for longer than they did before the pandemic. Grantees from AcademyHealth’s Research in Transforming Health and Healthcare Systems (RTHS) program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health used this moment to study what happens when Medicaid postpartum coverage increases from 60 days to 12 months.
The Impact: In the 3 states included in the study, keeping moms covered meant more doctor visits, more follow-up care, and better overall health in the months after birth.
Why it Matters: This research shows that continuous postpartum Medicaid coverage can lead to better health outcomes and health care utilization among birthing people. Evidence that people will access health services if they’re covered makes a strong case for better coverage.
Learn More:
- Grantee Page: Extending Postpartum Coverage to Medicaid Enrollees: Impact on Those Eligible and Those Left Behind
- POEM for Equity Website
- One-Pager: Continuous Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Improves Healthcare Access, Utilization, And Overall Wellbeing
The Evidence Effect: Health Services Research in the Real World is AcademyHealth’s new storytelling series that highlights how research answers real-world problems, what changed because of the evidence, and who benefited from the research or policy change. Learn more about the Evidence Effect and discover other examples of what HSR does, why it matters, and the impact it creates for people and communities here.