The Latest Research, Commentary, And News From Health Affairs
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Dear John,
New research shows that Medicaid expansion has a big impact on postpartum uninsurance, but the recently passed American Rescue Plan could close some coverage gaps.
How Medicaid Expansion, the American
Rescue Plan, and Pregnancy All Fit Together
Eleven years ago, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) offered new pregnancy-related coverage to millions of Americans. Many states expanded Medicaid eligibility to women with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. By 2018, Medicaid covered 43 percent of births nationwide.
While the ACA’s Medicaid expansion provisions created some insurance stability for pregnant women, coverage churn persists. In a paper in the April issue of Health Affairs, Emily
Johnston and colleagues examined the effect of Medicaid expansion on low-income pregnant women. Their findings show that, in states that didn’t expand coverage, half of women with prenatal Medicaid coverage experienced a period without insurance in the weeks before or after birth. In states that did expand Medicaid, only one in five lost insurance during the perinatal period.
But change could be on the way. The American Rescue Plan Act, which became law in March, allows states to extend Medicaid coverage for women up to 12 months postpartum, up from the current 60 days postpartum. This new policy could have significant impacts on insurance loss among pregnant women and new mothers in states that elect to expand coverage. To learn more about this provision, read this recent blog post by Sara Rosenbaum and coauthors.
For more new findings related to the ACA and other topics, check out our April 2021 issue.
Today on Health Affairs Blog, Erika G. Martin and Betty Bekemeier argue that reinvesting in public health systems and services research will be critical to building an evidence base for a stronger health system. In a new GrantWatch post, Caroline Brunton and coauthors discuss Accountable Communities for Health, explaining that they may have a variety of features, but all share a common vision, embrace an inclusive governance structure that engages community
residents and organizations, and collect and share data across sectors to help establish priorities and measure progress for their communities.
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The ACA Led To An Increase In The Contraceptive-Curious
Listen to Alan Weil interview Nora Becker from the University of Michigan on the affordability of long-acting reversible contraceptives, how the Affordable Care Act impacted the costs associated with such devices, and the role of behavioral economics in choosing a health plan.
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