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Maternal Minimum-stay Legislation: Cost and Policy Implications

Overview
Journal Am J Public Health
Specialty Public Health
Date 1999 Jun 8
PMID 10358688
Citations 4
Authors
K Raube
K Merrell
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Objectives: Recently, most state legislatures and Congress have passed laws mandating insurance coverage for a minimum period of inpatient care following delivery. This study analyzed the likely cost implications of one state's law.

Methods: Hospital discharge records for Illinois women who gave birth (n = 167,769) and infants born (n = 164,905) during a 12-month period predating the law were analyzed.

Results: As a percentage of total spending on birth-related admissions and readmissions, the net effect of the law ranges from a savings of 0.1% to a cost of 20.2%.

Conclusions: There may be large cost implications to this legislation, even with savings from avoided re-admissions.

Citing Articles

A comparative analysis of mandated benefit laws, 1949-2002.

Laugesen M, Paul R, Luft H, Aubry W, Ganiats T Health Serv Res. 2006; 41(3 Pt 2):1081-103.

PMID: 16704673 PMC: 1713218. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2006.00521.x.

Impacts of managed care patient protection laws on health services utilization and patient satisfaction with care.

Sloan F, Rattliff J, Hall M Health Serv Res. 2005; 40(3):647-67.

PMID: 15960684 PMC: 1361161. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2005.00378.x.

Pennsylvania's early discharge legislation: effect on maternity and infant lengths of stay and hospital charges in Philadelphia.

Webb D, Culhane J, Snyder S, Greenspan J Health Serv Res. 2002; 36(6 Pt 1):1073-83.

PMID: 11775668 PMC: 1089279.

Making U.S. Maternal and Child Health policy: from "early discharge" to "drive through deliveries" to a national law.

Declercq E Matern Child Health J. 2000; 3(1):5-17.

PMID: 10728285 DOI: 10.1023/a:1021806028262.

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