Reports on Insurance from State University of New York (SUNY) Albany Provide New Insights (Effects of Medicaid Expansions On Coverage, Prenatal Care, and Health Among American Indian/ Alaska Native Women): Insurance

2024 MAY 31 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Current study results on Insurance have been published. According to news reporting from Albany, New York, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women experience distinct political and health care environments and possess unique health risks and resources. We tested whether state Medicaid expansions under the Affordable Care Act were associated with health insurance, prenatal care, health conditions, and birth outcomes among AI/AN women.”

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the State University of New York (SUNY) Albany, “Using data from the 2010-19 American Community Survey and 2010-19 US birth certificates, we used a difference -in -differences study design to compare outcomes among AI/AN women before and after Medicaid expansions. Medicaid expansions increased the proportion of AI/AN women reporting health care coverage from both Medicaid and the Indian Health Service (IHS), with larger effects among women living in areas with relatively high percentages of reservation land. Consistent with prior research on the broader population of women, Medicaid expansions had no effects on first -trimester prenatal care usage or birthweight among AI/AN women. We found mixed evidence of increased rates of prepregnancy chronic conditions after the expansions.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Our findings demonstrate the importance of Medicaid, the IHS, and tribal health systems as sources of health care coverage for AI/AN women of childbearing age.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Effects of Medicaid Expansions On Coverage, Prenatal Care, and Health Among American Indian/ Alaska Native Women. Health Affairs, 2024;43(3):344-353. Health Affairs can be contacted at: Project Hope, 7500 Old Georgetown Rd, Ste 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-6133, USA.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Pinka Chatterji, State University of New York (SUNY) Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States. Additional authors for this research include Kate W. Strully, Han Liu, Soojin Han and Lawrence Schell.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00672. 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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