Reports from University of Pittsburgh Describe Recent Advances in Epidemiology (Invited Commentary: Medicaid Policy and Pregnancy Outcomes-toward a Reproductive Autonomy Framework): Health and Disease – Epidemiology

Health Policy and Law Daily

2022 JAN 20 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Researchers detail new data in Health and Disease - Epidemiology. According to news reporting originating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by NewsRx editors, the research stated, “The Medicaid program covers more than 70 million people and is the largest single health insurance payer for pregnancy and delivery in the United States. In this issue of the Journal, Margerison et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2021;190(8):1488-1498) investigate the extent to which expansion of Medicaid coverage to nonpregnant low-income adults under the Affordable Care Act may have improved prepregnancy or birth outcomes.”

Funders for this research include University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the University of Pittsburgh, “They found that Medicaid expansions by states were not associated with changes in prepregnancy health, including smoking and obesity. Similarly, there were no changes in preterm birth or small or large size for gestational age attributable to Medicaid expansion. Results were consistent across a range of model specifications and with allowance for different lag times between Medicaid expansion and pregnancy. The results are consistent with prior research finding that pregnancy-specific Medicaid expansions did not uniformly translate to improved pregnancy and birth outcomes. Results should be interpreted in light of the limited contribution that medical services make to overall health and well-being.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “To reduce the high rates of adverse pregnancy and child health outcomes in the United States, Medicaid policy must move toward a reproductive autonomy framework that shifts the focus away from pregnancy-specific benefits and toward a comprehensive and patient-empowering reproductive health paradigm.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Invited Commentary: Medicaid Policy and Pregnancy Outcomes-toward a Reproductive Autonomy Framework. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2021;190(8):1499-1501. American Journal of Epidemiology can be contacted at: Oxford Univ Press Inc, Journals Dept, 2001 Evans Rd, Cary, NC 27513, USA. (Oxford University Press - http://www.oup.com/; American Journal of Epidemiology - aje.oxfordjournals.org)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Marian Jarlenski, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Dept. of Health Policy and Management, 130 DeSoto St, Room A619, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaa290. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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