Promoting Better Maternal Health Outcomes By Closing The Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Gap

The researchers will examine how the delivery system can be changed to better support postpartum women who fall within the coverage gap. Many of the policy options cover postpartum extension, however there is also a need to explore delivery system adaptations that will be required to accompany a potential policy change. The Century Foundation team will conduct literature reviews to examine questions such as 1) What will it take to ensure meaningful extension of postpartum coverage for women under Medicaid? 2) What are the challenges state health systems face in implementing extension? 3) Are delivery systems currently operating in a way that supports extension? 4) What are the best payment models to support meaningful postpartum coverage extension under Medicaid? The researchers also will conduct phone interviews with state actors, Medicaid policy experts, health care providers, and postpartum women in order to better understand the health systems landscape and the challenges posed by the coverage gap.