Changes in Maternal Care and Infant Health After Noneconomic Damage Cap Repeals

Was the removal of noneconomic damage caps associated with significant changes in maternal care and birth outcomes?In this cross-sectional study using a difference-in-differences design to analyze more than 20 million live births, repealing noneconomic damage caps was associated with a statistically significant increase of 2.92 percentage points in physician-attended births in rural counties; there was no change overall or in urban counties. No significant associations were found for other maternal care or infant health outcomes.Repealing the caps was associated with more physician-attended births in rural counties without demonstrable changes in infant health, suggesting that increased liability risk after repealing the caps may alter the composition of birth attendants in resource-constrained settings.

Corresponding Author: Hao Yu, PhD, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Landmark Center, 401 Park Dr, Ste 401 East, Boston, MA 02215 (hao_yu@hphci.harvard.edu).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.