North Carolina has significantly improved postpartum healthcare access by extending Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months following childbirth, according to a recent study. This policy change aims to provide continuous support to new mothers, ensuring they receive essential medical and behavioral health services during the critical year after delivery.
Enhanced Coverage Leads to Increased Utilization
The study analyzed Medicaid claims from March 2016 to December 2023, encompassing over 350,000 Medicaid-funded births between January 2017 and December 2022. Findings reveal that during the extended coverage period, 97.1% of Medicaid recipients maintained comprehensive coverage at 12 months postpartum, a substantial increase from 26.5% before the public health emergency (PHE). Additionally, there was a notable rise in the use of Medicaid-financed services, including contraception, primary care, mental health, and substance use disorder treatments.
Implications for Maternal Health
The extension of Medicaid coverage has not only increased the number of postpartum visits but also improved access to preventive and ongoing treatments for chronic conditions. While there were delays in early postpartum and contraceptive visits, the overall increase in service utilization highlights the policy’s positive impact on maternal health outcomes. These improvements suggest that continuous Medicaid coverage can play a crucial role in mitigating adverse health outcomes for new mothers.
- Continuous Medicaid coverage at 12 months postpartum rose to 97.1%.
- Contraceptive service utilization increased from 38.0% to approximately 48% during extension periods.
- Primary care visits surged from 25.3% pre-PHE to over 68% during and after the extension.
- Mental health services saw utilization rates grow from 7.5% to up to 25.7%.
- Substance use disorder care visits increased from 2.2% to 5.3% post-extension.
By ensuring that new mothers remain covered for a longer period, North Carolina’s Medicaid extension addresses gaps in postpartum care. This comprehensive coverage supports both preventive measures and the management of existing health issues, contributing to better long-term health outcomes for women.
Implementing such extended coverage can serve as a model for other states aiming to improve maternal health services. Policymakers should consider the significant benefits demonstrated in North Carolina, including higher utilization rates of essential health services and the potential reduction in adverse health outcomes. As more data becomes available, continued evaluation will be essential to optimize postpartum care strategies and ensure that all new mothers have access to the care they need.
This article has been prepared with the assistance of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more details, please refer to our Terms and Conditions. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author.
