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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 20 of 20 Research Studies DisplayedEliason E, Admon LK, Steenland MW
Late postpartum coverage loss before COVID-19: implications for Medicaid unwinding.
The purpose of this study was to explore the loss of Medicaid coverage in toward the end of the postpartum period prior to COVID-19 and describe the implications for Medicaid unwinding. The researchers utilized unique Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System follow-up data from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that only 68% of enrollees in prenatal Medicaid maintained continuous Medicaid coverage through 9 or 10 months postpartum. Of the total prenatal Medicaid enrollees who lost their coverage in the early postpartum period, two-thirds continued to be uninsured 9 to 10 months postpartum. The researchers concluded that extensions to state postpartum Medicaid could prevent a return to postpartum coverage loss rates similar to the level in the prepandemic period.
AHRQ-funded; HS027464; HS000011.
Citation: Eliason E, Admon LK, Steenland MW .
Late postpartum coverage loss before COVID-19: implications for Medicaid unwinding.
Health Aff 2023 Jul; 42(7):966-72. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01659..
Keywords: COVID-19, Maternal Care, Medicaid, Women, Access to Care, Uninsured, Health Insurance
Saldanha IJ, Adam GP, Kanaan G
Health insurance coverage and postpartum outcomes in the US: a systematic review.
The objective of this evidence review was to assess whether extension of health insurance coverage or improvements in health care access are associated with postpartum health care utilization and maternal outcomes. Findings with moderate strength of evidence suggested that more comprehensive association was likely to be related to greater postpartum visit attendance; findings with low strength of evidence indicated a possible association between more comprehensive insurance, fewer preventable readmissions, and emergency department visits. The authors concluded that these findings suggested that evidence evaluating insurance coverage and postpartum visit attendance and unplanned care utilization is, at best, of moderate strength of evidence. They recommended that future research should evaluate clinical outcomes associated with more comprehensive insurance coverage.
AHRQ-funded; 75Q80120D00001.
Citation: Saldanha IJ, Adam GP, Kanaan G .
Health insurance coverage and postpartum outcomes in the US: a systematic review.
JAMA Netw Open 2023 Jun; 6(6):e2316536. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.16536..
Keywords: Health Insurance, Maternal Care, Women, Outcomes, Medicaid, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
Quinlan TAG, Lindrooth RC, Guiahi M
Medicaid payment for postpartum long-acting reversible contraception prompts more equitable use.
In addition to providing a global payment for maternity care, an increasing number of state Medicaid programs pay for immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). The purpose of this study was to examine postpartum LARC utilization by race and ethnicity and overall among respondents with Medicaid-paid births during 2012-2018 in eight states that implemented immediate postpartum LARC payment and eight states without immediate postpartum LARC payment. The study found that the policy resulted in a 2.1-percentage-point increase in postpartum LARC use overall. Further analysis found no significant change among White mothers and a 3.7-percentage-point increase in use among Black mothers compared with White mothers. The researchers concluded that additional research is required to determine whether the increase was related with patients' preferences and whether hospitals' immediate postpartum LARC policies and practices utilize a patient-centered approach that reinforces reproductive autonomy and equity.
AHRQ-funded; HS028762.
Citation: Quinlan TAG, Lindrooth RC, Guiahi M .
Medicaid payment for postpartum long-acting reversible contraception prompts more equitable use.
Health Aff 2023 May; 42(5):665-73. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01178..
Keywords: Medicaid, Maternal Care, Women, Access to Care, Policy
Steenland MW, Trivedi AN
Association of Medicaid expansion with postpartum depression treatment in Arkansas.
This study examined the association of Medicaid expansion in Arkansas with postpartum antidepressant prescription fills and antidepressant continuation and supply during the first 6 months postpartum. This cohort study used data comparing persons with Medicaid and commercially financed childbirth using Arkansas' All-Payer Claims Database (2013-2016). A total of 60,990 births were included, with 72% of births paid for by Medicaid and 28% paid by a commercial payer. Before expansion, 4.2% of people with a Medicaid-paid birth filled an antidepressant prescription in the later postpartum period. Medicaid expansion was associated with a 4.6 percentage point increase in the likelihood, or a relative change of 110%, in this outcome. Among people with early postpartum depression, Medicaid expansion increased the continuity of antidepressant treatment by 20.5 percentage points and the number of days with antidepressant supply in the later postpartum period by 14.1 days.
AHRQ-funded; HS027464.
Citation: Steenland MW, Trivedi AN .
Association of Medicaid expansion with postpartum depression treatment in Arkansas.
JAMA Health Forum 2023 Feb; 4(2):e225603. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.5603..
Keywords: Depression, Behavioral Health, Medicaid, Maternal Care, Women, Access to Care
Steenland MW, Wherry LR
Medicaid expansion led to reductions in postpartum hospitalizations.
The purpose of this study was to assess whether the Medicaid expansions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affected rates of postpartum hospitalization. The researchers compared states that did and did not expand Medicaid under the ACA as they related to changes in hospitalizations among birthing people with a Medicaid-financed delivery. The study found a 17% reduction in hospitalizations during the first 60 days postpartum associated with the Medicaid expansions, and evidence of a lesser decrease in hospitalizations between 61 days and 6 months postpartum. The researchers concluded that Medicaid coverage expansion under the ACA resulted in improved postpartum health for low-income birthing people.
AHRQ-funded; HS027464.
Citation: Steenland MW, Wherry LR .
Medicaid expansion led to reductions in postpartum hospitalizations.
Health Aff 2023 Jan; 42(1):18-25. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00819..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicaid, Hospitalization, Maternal Care, Women, Health Insurance, Access to Care
Eliason EL, Daw JR
Presumptive eligibility for pregnancy Medicaid and timely prenatal care access.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the adoption of presumptive eligibility for pregnancy Medicaid in Kansas in 2016 and timely prenatal care access. The researchers utilized 2012-2019 National Center for Health Statistics natality files of all live births in adults aged 20 or older in Kansas, Idaho, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, with outcomes of first-trimester prenatal care, the month of first prenatal visit, and adequate prenatal care. The study found no evidence that presumptive eligibility in Kansas resulted in changes in prenatal care use. Among individuals with high school education or less, presumptive eligibility was associated with an increase in first-trimester prenatal care, driven by earlier month of first prenatal care visit. The researchers concluded that in individuals with lower education, presumptive eligibility in Medicaid non-expansion states may lead to small improvements in early prenatal care.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Eliason EL, Daw JR .
Presumptive eligibility for pregnancy Medicaid and timely prenatal care access.
Health Serv Res 2022 Dec;57(6):1288-94. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14035..
Keywords: Pregnancy, Maternal Care, Access to Care, Medicaid, Women
Interrante JD, Tuttle MS, Admon LK
Severe maternal morbidity and mortality risk at the intersection of rurality, race and ethnicity, and Medicaid.
Using maternal discharge records from childbirth hospitalizations in the HCUP National Inpatient Sample, 2007-15, researchers examined differences in rates of severe maternal morbidity and mortality by rural or urban geography, race and ethnicity, and clinical factors among Medicaid-funded births and privately insured hospital births. The highest rate of severe maternal morbidity and mortality occurred among rural Indigenous Medicaid-funded births; births among Black rural and urban residents and among Hispanic urban residents also experienced elevated rates. The researchers concluded that heightened rates of severe maternal morbidity and mortality among Medicaid-funded births indicate an opportunity for state and federal policy responses to address the maternal health challenges faced by Medicaid beneficiaries, including Black, Indigenous, and rural residents
AHRQ-funded; HS027640.
Citation: Interrante JD, Tuttle MS, Admon LK .
Severe maternal morbidity and mortality risk at the intersection of rurality, race and ethnicity, and Medicaid.
Womens Health Issues 2022 Nov-Dec;32(6):540-49. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2022.05.003..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Maternal Care, Women, Pregnancy, Mortality, Risk, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medicaid
Eliason EL, A Spishak-Thomas, Steenland MW
Association of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions with postpartum contraceptive use and early postpartum pregnancy.
The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion with postpartum contraception use and pregnancy. The researchers found that Medicaid expansion was associated with a 7.0 percentage point increase in postpartum use of the contraceptive implant and intrauterine device LARC, a 3.1 percentage point decrease in short-acting contraception, and a 3.9 percentage point decrease in non-prescription contraceptive use overall. Increases in LARC use were concentrated among non-Hispanic, White, and Black respondents. Medicaid expansion was associated with a decrease in early postpartum pregnancy only among non-Hispanic Black respondents. The researchers concluded that the ACA Medicaid expansion improved postpartum contraceptive access and led to shifts from methods with a lower upfront out-of-pocket cost for people without insurance towards methods with the higher upfront out-of-pocket cost for people without insurance. These changes suggest that Medicaid expansions increased access to the full range of contraceptive methods.
AHRQ-funded; HS027464; HS000011
Citation: Eliason EL, A Spishak-Thomas, Steenland MW .
Association of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions with postpartum contraceptive use and early postpartum pregnancy.
Contraception 2022 Sep;113:42-48. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2022.02.012..
Keywords: Sexual Health, Pregnancy, Maternal Care, Women, Medicaid, Access to Care, Policy
Roman LA, Raffo JE, Strutz K
The impact of a population-based system of care intervention on enhanced prenatal care and service utilization among Medicaid-insured pregnant women.
Enhanced prenatal/postnatal care home visiting programs for Medicaid-insured women have significant positive impacts on care and health outcomes. However, enhanced prenatal care participation rates are typically low, enrolling <30% of eligible women. This study investigated the impacts of a population-based systems approach on timely enhanced prenatal care participation and other healthcare utilization. The investigators concluded that a population systems approach improved selected enhanced prenatal care participation and service utilization for Medicaid-insured women in a county population, those in practices with established clinical-community linkages, and Black women.
AHRQ-funded; HS020208.
Citation: Roman LA, Raffo JE, Strutz K .
The impact of a population-based system of care intervention on enhanced prenatal care and service utilization among Medicaid-insured pregnant women.
Am J Prev Med 2022 Feb;62(2):e117-e27. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.08.012..
Keywords: Maternal Care, Pregnancy, Medicaid, Women
Gordon SH, Hoagland A, Admon LK
Extended postpartum Medicaid eligibility is associated with improved continuity of coverage in the postpartum year.
The purpose of this study was to explore whether states that adopt the American Rescue Plan Act 0f 2021 option to provide eligibility for pregnancy-related benefits for a full year after birth are likely to improve continuity of postpartum insurance coverage. The researchers utilized linked birth records, income, and all-payer claims data for Medicaid-paid births in Colorado during the period 2014-19. Continuity of coverage during one year postpartum among people eligible for low-income adult Medicaid as compared with those ineligible for Medicaid. The study found that retention of Medicaid coverage as a low-income adult was associated with 1.5 additional months of postpartum insurance enrollment and a 12-percentage-point increase in the probability of continuous insurance coverage during the first year after birth. The study concluded that states adopting the American Rescue Plan Act’s option to extend pregnancy-related benefits for a year after birth are likely to increase continuity of postpartum insurance coverage.
AHRQ-funded; HS027640.
Citation: Gordon SH, Hoagland A, Admon LK .
Extended postpartum Medicaid eligibility is associated with improved continuity of coverage in the postpartum year.
Health Aff 2022 Jan;41(1):69-78. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00730..
Keywords: Maternal Care, Medicaid, Women, Pregnancy, Access to Care, Policy
Steenland MW, Wilson IB, Matteson KA
Association of Medicaid expansion in Arkansas with postpartum coverage, outpatient care, and racial disparities.
This study’s objective was to measure the association of Medicaid expansion in Arkansas with postpartum coverage, outpatient care, and racial disparities. A total of 60,990 childbirths were reviewed from January 1, 2014 on with a total of 72.3% paid for by Medicaid and 27.7% paid for by a commercial payer. The mean age of the birthing person was 27; with 67% White, 22% Black, and 7% Hispanic. Medicaid expansion in Arkansas was associated with a 27.8 percentage point increase in continuous insurance coverage and an increase in outpatient visits of 0.9 during the first 6 months postpartum, representing relative increases of 54.9% and 75.0%, respectively. Racial disparities in postpartum coverage decreased from 6.3 percentage points before expansion to -2.0 after. However, disparities in outpatient care after expansion persisted between Black and White individuals.
AHRQ-funded; HS027464.
Citation: Steenland MW, Wilson IB, Matteson KA .
Association of Medicaid expansion in Arkansas with postpartum coverage, outpatient care, and racial disparities.
JAMA Health Forum 2021 Dec;2(12):e214167. doi: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.4167..
Keywords: Medicaid, Maternal Care, Pregnancy, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities, Policy, Women, Access to Care
Raffo JE, Titcombe C, Henning S
Clinical-community linkages: the impact of standard care processes that engage Medicaid-eligible pregnant women in home visiting.
The purpose of this study was to describe how practice sites operationalized clinical-community linkage strategies that best suited their setting and to determine if efforts resulted in improved Maternal Infant Health Program participation and other service use. Findings showed that clinical-community linkages can significantly improve participation of Medicaid-insured women in an evidence-based home visiting program and other prenatal services.
AHRQ-funded; HS020208.
Citation: Raffo JE, Titcombe C, Henning S .
Clinical-community linkages: the impact of standard care processes that engage Medicaid-eligible pregnant women in home visiting.
Womens Health Issues 2021 Nov-Dec;31(6):532-39. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2021.06.006..
Keywords: Pregnancy, Maternal Care, Women, Medicaid, Community-Based Practice
Herrick CJ, Keller MR, Trolard AM
Factors associated with postpartum diabetes screening in women with gestational diabetes and Medicaid during pregnancy.
This study’s goal was to understand the factors associated with the receipt of postpartum diabetes screening for women with gestational diabetes in a state without Medicaid expansion. Findings showed that prenatal certified diabetes education and access to public transportation were associated with increased screening, the total number of prenatal visits, the use of diabetes medication during pregnancy, and a pregnancy-specific comorbidity index that incorporated age.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Herrick CJ, Keller MR, Trolard AM .
Factors associated with postpartum diabetes screening in women with gestational diabetes and Medicaid during pregnancy.
Am J Prev Med 2021 Feb;60(2):222-31. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.08.028..
Keywords: Diabetes, Screening, Maternal Care, Pregnancy, Women, Medicaid, Access to Care
Gordon SH, Sommers BD, Wilson IB
Effects of Medicaid expansion on postpartum coverage and outpatient utilization.
Timely postpartum care is associated with lower maternal morbidity and mortality, yet fewer than half of Medicaid beneficiaries attend a postpartum visit. Using Medicaid claims data for 2013-2015 from Colorado, which expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and Utah, which did not, the authors conclude that expansion may promote the stability of postpartum coverage and increase the use of postpartum outpatient care in the Medicaid program.
AHRQ-funded; HS025560.
Citation: Gordon SH, Sommers BD, Wilson IB .
Effects of Medicaid expansion on postpartum coverage and outpatient utilization.
Health Aff 2020 Jan;39(1):77-84. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00547..
Keywords: Medicaid, Pregnancy, Women, Access to Care, Maternal Care, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Policy, Healthcare Delivery
Li J, Pesko MF, Unruh MA
Effect of the Medicaid primary care rate increase on prenatal care utilization among Medicaid-insured women.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the 2013-2014 ACA Medicaid Primary Care Rate Increase on Medicaid-insured women's prenatal care utilization, overall and by race and ethnicity. The investigators concluded that the Medicaid "fee bump" improved prenatal care utilization for non-Hispanic Black and White women. They suggest that policymakers may consider reinstating higher Medicaid reimbursements to improve access to care for disadvantaged populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS024357.
Citation: Li J, Pesko MF, Unruh MA .
Effect of the Medicaid primary care rate increase on prenatal care utilization among Medicaid-insured women.
Matern Child Health J 2019 Nov;23(11):1564-72. doi: 10.1007/s10995-019-02804-6..
Keywords: Medicaid, Primary Care, Maternal Care, Pregnancy, Women, Healthcare Utilization, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities
Cottrell E, Darney BG, Marino M
Study protocol: a mixed-methods study of women's healthcare in the safety net after Affordable Care Act implementation - EVERYWOMAN.
In this paper, the authors describe a 5-year, mixed-methods study comparing women's contraceptive, preventive, prenatal and postpartum care before and after ACA implementation and between Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states. They conclude that the findings will be relevant to policy and practice, informing efforts that enhance the provision of timely, evidence-based reproductive care, to improve health outcomes, and to reduce disparities among women. Patient, provider and practice-level interviews will serve to contextualize their findings and to develop subsequent studies and interventions to support women's healthcare provision in community health center settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS025155.
Citation: Cottrell E, Darney BG, Marino M .
Study protocol: a mixed-methods study of women's healthcare in the safety net after Affordable Care Act implementation - EVERYWOMAN.
Health Res Policy Syst 2019 Jun 11;17(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s12961-019-0445-y..
Keywords: Women, Access to Care, Medicaid, Policy, Prevention, Maternal Care, Sexual Health
Mehra R, Cunningham SD, Lewis JB
Recommendations for the pilot expansion of Medicaid coverage for doulas in New York state.
AHRQ-funded; HS017589.
Citation: Mehra R, Cunningham SD, Lewis JB .
Recommendations for the pilot expansion of Medicaid coverage for doulas in New York state.
Am J Public Health 2019 Feb;109(2):217-19. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2018.304797..
Keywords: Medicaid, Pregnancy, Maternal Care, Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Prevention, Women, Disparities
Roman LA, Raffo JE, Dertz K
Understanding perspectives of African American Medicaid-insured women on the process of perinatal care: an opportunity for systems improvement.
The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of Medicaid-insured women about their experiences of perinatal care across a continuum of clinical and community-based services. It found that many women experienced difficulties engaging in early care, getting more help, and understanding and communicating with their providers, with some reporting socio-economic and racial bias in care.
AHRQ-funded; HS020208.
Citation: Roman LA, Raffo JE, Dertz K .
Understanding perspectives of African American Medicaid-insured women on the process of perinatal care: an opportunity for systems improvement.
Matern Child Health J 2017 Dec;21(Suppl 1):81-92. doi: 10.1007/s10995-017-2372-2.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Maternal Care, Medicaid, Pregnancy, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Fowler TT, Schiff J, Applegate MS
Early elective deliveries accounted for nearly 9 percent of births paid for by Medicaid.
The authors reported the results of a perinatal project, led by the state Medicaid medical directors, that sought to coordinate quality improvement efforts related to early elective deliveries for the Medicaid population. Using data from 22 states, they found that 8.9% of Medicaid singleton births were early elective deliveries, and they therefore estimated that there are 160,000 early elective Medicaid deliveries nationwide each year. They concluded that their study offers additional evidence and new tools for policy makers pursuing strategies to further reduce the number of such deliveries.
AHRQ-funded; 29020090015C.
Citation: Fowler TT, Schiff J, Applegate MS .
Early elective deliveries accounted for nearly 9 percent of births paid for by Medicaid.
Health Aff 2014 Dec;33(12):2170-8. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0534.
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Keywords: Labor and Delivery, Maternal Care, Medicaid, Pregnancy
Palmsten K, Huybrechts KF, Kowal MK
Validity of maternal and infant outcomes within nationwide Medicaid data.
The researchers aimed to assess the validity of preeclampsia, congenital cardiac malformations, and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn diagnoses in the U.S. Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX), a database that may be useful for perinatal research. The positive predictive values were conservative, particularly when restricting to infants not transferred to another facility shortly after birth because only records from a single hospitalization were reviewed.
AHRQ-funded; HS018533
Citation: Palmsten K, Huybrechts KF, Kowal MK .
Validity of maternal and infant outcomes within nationwide Medicaid data.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2014 Jun;23(6):646-55. doi: 10.1002/pds.3627..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Maternal Care, Outcomes, Medicaid