Maternal Health Equity in Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: Early Lessons from the Massachusetts Experience

There are substantial inequities by race and ethnicity in maternal health care utilization and health outcomes across the perinatal period. As Medicaid covers 42% of births nationally and almost two-thirds of births to Black birthing people, state Medicaid financing and delivery system reforms have...

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Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mary Ann Liebert 2023-09-01
Series:Health Equity
Online Access:https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/HEQ.2023.0103
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description There are substantial inequities by race and ethnicity in maternal health care utilization and health outcomes across the perinatal period. As Medicaid covers 42% of births nationally and almost two-thirds of births to Black birthing people, state Medicaid financing and delivery system reforms have substantial scope to impact these inequities. Twenty-one states have implemented Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) at some point since 2015. Using public documents and interviews with ACO administrators, we examine the implications of Massachusetts Medicaid ACOs, implemented in March 2018, for maternal health equity. Although these Medicaid ACOs have the potential to impact maternal health equity, they face many challenges in doing so. We review future steps within Massachusetts Medicaid ACOs and Medicaid programs more generally to incorporate policies that may better address racial and ethnic inequities.
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spelling doaj.art-6cd15687af04494f9c2190d7852ae01d2023-12-06T16:19:50ZengMary Ann LiebertHealth Equity2473-12422023-09-0110.1089/HEQ.2023.0103Maternal Health Equity in Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: Early Lessons from the Massachusetts ExperienceThere are substantial inequities by race and ethnicity in maternal health care utilization and health outcomes across the perinatal period. As Medicaid covers 42% of births nationally and almost two-thirds of births to Black birthing people, state Medicaid financing and delivery system reforms have substantial scope to impact these inequities. Twenty-one states have implemented Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) at some point since 2015. Using public documents and interviews with ACO administrators, we examine the implications of Massachusetts Medicaid ACOs, implemented in March 2018, for maternal health equity. Although these Medicaid ACOs have the potential to impact maternal health equity, they face many challenges in doing so. We review future steps within Massachusetts Medicaid ACOs and Medicaid programs more generally to incorporate policies that may better address racial and ethnic inequities.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/HEQ.2023.0103
spellingShingle Maternal Health Equity in Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: Early Lessons from the Massachusetts Experience
Health Equity
title Maternal Health Equity in Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: Early Lessons from the Massachusetts Experience
title_full Maternal Health Equity in Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: Early Lessons from the Massachusetts Experience
title_fullStr Maternal Health Equity in Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: Early Lessons from the Massachusetts Experience
title_full_unstemmed Maternal Health Equity in Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: Early Lessons from the Massachusetts Experience
title_short Maternal Health Equity in Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: Early Lessons from the Massachusetts Experience
title_sort maternal health equity in medicaid accountable care organizations early lessons from the massachusetts experience
url https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/HEQ.2023.0103