Medicaid study uncovers rise in costly ER visits due to possible gaps in postpartum care

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/jhm-msu092415.php

Public Release: 24-Sep-2015
Medicaid study uncovers rise in costly ER visits due to possible gaps in postpartum care
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Citing an analysis of more than 26,000 Maryland Medicaid claims, Johns Hopkins researchers report evidence that poor women with recent complications during their pregnancies are using the emergency room (ER) at higher rates after delivery and may not be getting the postpartum care and follow-up they need to prevent further health problems.

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Medicaid, like most forms of insurance, covers a postpartum visit six weeks after childbirth, offering a chance to address health conditions that arose or worsened during pregnancy and steer new mothers toward a healthy recovery. However, says Harris, many women -- particularly those who rely on government-sponsored programs such as Medicaid -- face multiple social and economic barriers that cause them to miss these visits, including lack of childcare, schedule demands, difficulty accessing care and lack of understanding about the long-term health risks associated with pregnancy complications. [They may also have a lack of transportation.]

Rather than receiving care at regular checkups, Harris says, some patients turn to the ER, where care is more costly, less efficient, less equipped to deal with chronic conditions or able to promote long-term preventive health behaviors.

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