Study Finds Wide Variation in State Coverage of Evidence-Based Perinatal Services

The United States has worse maternal health outcomes than other high-income countries, and large, persistent disparities in maternal outcomes exist across settings and demographic characteristics. Medicaid, the joint federal-state healthcare program for low-income people, covers more than four in 10 U.S. births. Most adverse maternal health outcomes, including pregnancy-related deaths, occur in the first year after birth, known as the postpartum period, and many are preventable with timely and comprehensive care.

To explore the types of care and services that Medicaid-covered postpartum parents can access, AIR's Health Research and Policy Center analyzed coverage across state Medicaid programs of evidence-based perinatal services like home visits, maternal depression screening at well-child visits, and lactation support outside the hospital.

The results show wide variation in Medicaid coverage of evidence-based perinatal services across states. For example, only 11 states (22%) require and reimburse maternal depression screening during well-child visits. Despite growing recognition of the importance of postpartum care, differences in state Medicaid coverage likely influence maternal health outcomes and worsen place-based disparities.