Medicaid ACOs can improve maternal care quality and equity

A new study details how Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations can improve maternal healthcare quality and equity in the US by aligning performance mandates with innovative care coordination and social needs support among patients before, during, and after pregnancy.

However, there were formidable challenges in meeting metrics and implementing new initiatives across the continuum of maternal healthcare, which varied depending on the type of ACO model (primary care model or health system-based model). The researchers offer recommendations that Massachusetts and other states can utilize to overcome barriers in maternal healthcare delivery.

The ACO contracts required just a single maternal health metric-timely prenatal care-during the first waiver period, compared to multiple tactics during the second waiver period, including the metric for timely postpartum visits, and the requirement for postpartum depression screenings. Simultaneously, the Commonwealth also extended Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months after delivery, and began to cover doula services.

"In fact, it is in this extended postpartum period that one-third of maternal deaths occur, many of them preventable."

Source:

Boston University School of Public Health

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