Medicaid Accountable Care Model Designs and Maternal Health Measures

Are the 2 Medicaid accountable care organization (ACO) model designs implemented in Massachusetts differentially associated with process and outcome measures among pregnant and postpartum patients?This cohort study of 67 204 Medicaid-insured deliveries found that primary care practice–led ACOs were associated with increased perinatal office visits while health system–managed care organization partnership ACOs were associated with increased receipt of timely postpartum visits and decreased prenatal emergency department visits.In this study, both Medicaid ACO models were associated with improved outcomes, but with some differences between models, suggesting that states should consider how to best optimize model designs to improve care and outcomes for pregnant and postpartum patients when designing or redesigning their programs.

Corresponding Author: Megan B. Cole, PhD, MPH, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School mbcole@bu.edu).

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