Study: ACA Medicaid expansion states reduce postpartum hospitalizations

States that expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income adults in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act reduced postpartum hospitalizations for low-income people, according to a study reported yesterday in Health Affairs, which compared 2010-2017 data from four states that expanded Medicaid and four that did not. 

“We found a 17% decrease in the occurrence of 60-day postpartum hospitalizations among people with Medicaid-financed deliveries in states with ACA Medicaid expansions compared with those in nonexpansion states,” the authors write. “This is notable, given that Medicaid pregnancy coverage only expires after 60 days. One potential explanation for this finding is that expanded Medicaid may affect postpartum outcomes by increasing coverage and access to care before pregnancy.”