Medicaid Expansion and Pregnancy Outcomes in Gestational Diabetes

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) seeks to enhance healthcare accessibility, yet its impact on maternal and newborn health in women with gestational diabetes—diabetes that emerges during pregnancy—across diverse demographics remains uncertain (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Impact of Medicaid expansion on pregnancy outcomes among women with gestational diabetes

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Assessing ACA Impact: A Comparative Study on Maternal and Newborn Health

A new study compared the effects of ACA implementation on maternal and newborn health in Maryland (with ACA) and Georgia (without ACA) among 52,479 women. The investigators found that after ACA implementation, Maryland showed improved newborn outcomes compared with Georgia. This included measures related to Agar scores, the need for assisted ventilation, and the need for neonatal intensive care. There were no significant differences in Cesarean section deliveries.

“It is plausible that Maryland's decision to adopt Medicaid expansion, coupled with the state's proclivity for inclusiveness and adaptability, could inherently drive better outcomes,” said corresponding author Oluwasegun Akinyemi, MD, MPH, a senior research fellow at the Howard University College of Medicine and a PhD student at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

“This perspective aligns with the supposition that state‐specific sociocultural dynamics, beyond mere policy adoption, profoundly influence health outcomes.”

Reference:

1. Impact of Medicaid expansion on pregnancy outcomes among women with gestational diabetes - (https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ijgo.15439)

Source-Eurekalert