Medicaid family planning waivers in 3 States: did they reduce unwanted births?

Pathways to reproductive autonomy: Using path analysis to predict family planning outcomes in the United States

In the United States, about half of pregnancies are unintended, and most women of reproductive age are at risk of unintended pregnancy. Research has explored predictors of contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy, but there is a lack of research regarding access to preferred contraceptive method(s) and the complex pathways from sociodemographic factors to these family planning outcomes. This study applied Levesque et al.'s (2013) healthcare access framework to investigate pathways from sociodemographic factors and indicators of access to family planning outcomes using secondary data. Data were collected at four time points via an online survey between November 2012 and June 2014. Participants were US women of reproductive age who were seeking to avoid pregnancy (N = 1036; M_age  = 27.91, SD = 5.39; 6.9% Black, 13.6% Hispanic, 70.2% white, 9.4% other race/ethnicity). We conducted mediational path analysis, and results indicated that contraceptive knowledge (β = 0.116, p = 0.004), insurance coverage (β = 0.423, p < 0.001), and relational provider engagement (β = 0.265, p = 0.011) were significant predictors of access to preferred contraceptive method. Access to preferred contraceptive method directly predicted use of more effective contraception (β = 0.260, p < 0.001) and indirectly predicted decreased likelihood of experiencing unintended pregnancy via contraceptive method(s) effectiveness (β = -0.014, 95% confidence interval: -0.041, -0.005). This study identifies pathways to and through access to preferred contraceptive methods that may be important in determining family planning outcomes such as contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy. This information can be used to improve access to contraception, ultimately increasing reproductive autonomy by helping family planning outcomes align with patients' needs and priorities.

Market Share of US Catholic Hospitals and Associated Geographic Network Access to Reproductive Health Services

IMPORTANCE

Access to reproductive health services is a public health goal. It is unknown how geographic and health plan network availability of Catholic and non-Catholic hospitals may be associated with access to reproductive health services in the United States.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the market share of Catholic hospitals in the United States, both overall and within Marketplace health insurance plans' hospital networks.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study of US counties used data on hospitals' Catholic affiliation and discharges, hospital networks in Marketplace health insurance plans, and US Census population data to construct a national, county-level data set. The Catholic hospital market share overall in each county and in Marketplace plans' hospital networks in each county were calculated. The study examined whether the Catholic hospital market share was different within Marketplace networks compared with the counties they served. Data analysis was conducted in May and June 2018.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The overall Catholic hospital market share was calculated on the basis of the share of discharges in Catholic hospitals in a county compared with all hospital discharges. Overall market share was categorized as minimal (≤2%), low (>2% to ≤20%), high (>20% to ≤70%), or dominant (>70%). The Catholic hospital market share in Marketplace networks was calculated as the share of Catholic hospital discharges in each Marketplace network.

RESULTS

The sample included 4450 hospitals in 3101 counties. Overall, 26.1% of US counties had minimal Catholic hospital market share, 38.6% had low Catholic hospital market share, and 35.3% had high or dominant Catholic hospital market share; 38.7% of US reproductive-aged women resided in counties with high or dominant Catholic hospital market share. Among counties with Catholic hospital market share greater than 2%, the distribution of the median Marketplace network's Catholic hospital market share (median [interquartile range], 4.6% [0%-24.3%]) was lower than overall Catholic hospital market share (median [interquartile range], 18.5% [8.1%-36.5%]). The median Marketplace hospital network had a lower Catholic hospital market share than the county overall in 68.0% of US counties with Catholic hospital market share greater than 2%.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this national study, 35.3% of counties had high or dominant Catholic hospital market share serving an estimated 38.7% of US women of reproductive age. Marketplace health insurance plans' hospital networks included a lower share of Catholic hospitals than the counties they serve.

Medicaid Family Planning Expansions: The Effect of State Plan Amendments on Postpartum Contraceptive Use

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of state Medicaid family planning (FP) programs transitioning from a Section 1115 waiver to a State Plan Amendment (SPA) on reproductive health outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System on 75,082 women who had a live birth between 2007 and 2013 and were living in one of nine states. We performed a difference-in-differences analysis to quantify the effect of the transition on postpartum contraceptive (PPC) use and unintended births (UBs).

RESULTS

Over 80% of the sample reported using PPC; half reported an UB. The odds of PPC use among women who were living in a study state and gave birth after the transition were 1.14 times that of women who were living in a comparison state and/or gave birth before the transition (95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.24).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that women living in states that transitioned from a waiver to SPA experienced an increased likelihood of PPC compared with those living in comparison states.

State Medicaid Expansions for Parents Led to Increased Coverage and Prenatal Care Utilization among Pregnant Mothers

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate impacts of state Medicaid expansions for low-income parents on the health insurance coverage, pregnancy intention, and use of prenatal care among mothers who became pregnant.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING

Person-level data for women with a live birth from the 1997-2012 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

The sample was restricted to women who were already parents using information on previous live births and combined with information on state Medicaid policies for low-income parents.

STUDY DESIGN

I used a measure of expanded generosity of state Medicaid eligibility for low-income parents to estimate changes in health insurance, pregnancy intention, and prenatal care for pregnant mothers associated with Medicaid expansion.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

I found an increase in prepregnancy health insurance coverage and coverage during pregnancy among pregnant mothers, as well as earlier initiation of prenatal care, associated with the expansions. Among pregnant mothers with less education, I found an increase in the adequacy of prenatal care utilization.

CONCLUSIONS

Expanded Medicaid coverage for low-income adults has the potential to increase a woman's health insurance coverage prior to pregnancy, as well as her insurance coverage and medical care receipt during pregnancy.

Association of Access to Family Planning Services With Medicaid Expansion Among Female Enrollees in Michigan

IMPORTANCE

To date, 32 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid programs under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It is vital to understand whether expanded health insurance coverage of low-income individuals improves access to family planning services as a first step toward improving reproductive health outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of Medicaid expansion coverage with access to birth control and family planning services among women of reproductive age enrolled in the Michigan expansion plan.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

In a survey study, from January 13 through December 15, 2016, telephone surveys of a stratified sample of enrollees in Michigan's Section 1115 Medicaid Expansion waiver program, the Healthy Michigan Plan (HMP), were conducted. Interviewers completed surveys for 4090 sampled enrollees, of whom 1166 were women aged 19 to 44 years. Surveys were conducted with a computer-assisted telephone interviewing system in English, Arabic, and Spanish. The sample was weighted to 113 565 women. Dates of data analysis were from January 27 through September 18, 2017.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Self-reported change in access to birth control and family planning services through HMP (better, worse, about the same, or don't know/doesn't apply), compared with before enrollment.

RESULTS

Among the 1166 survey respondents aged 19 to 44 years (mean [SD] age, 31.0 [0.3] years) and the weighted sample of 113 565, 74.7% (95% CI, 72.2%-76.9%) lived in very-low-income households (<100% federal poverty level), 64.0% (95% CI, 60.5%-67.3%) reported at least 1 chronic medical condition, 23.5% (95% CI, 20.6%-26.6%) reported fair or poor health, and 17.7% (95% CI, 15.7%-19.9%) lived in rural settings. Overall, 35.5% (95% CI, 32.2%-39.0%) reported increased access to family planning services. After adjusting, those most likely to report increased access were women without health insurance coverage in the year preceding HMP enrollment (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.02; 95% CI, 1.41-2.89) compared with women with health insurance for the full 12 months preceding enrollment; younger women (aOR for 19-24 years, 2.80 [95% CI, 1.75-4.50]; aOR for 25-34 years, 2.35 [95% CI, 1.60-3.45]) compared with women aged 35 to 44 years; and women with a recent visit to a primary care clinician (aOR 1.69; 95% CI, 1.03-2.76) compared with women without a primary care visit in the preceding 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

One in 3 women of reproductive age reported better ability to access birth control and family planning services through HMP compared with before enrollment. This finding suggests that Medicaid expansion is associated with improved access to family planning services, which may enable low-income women to maintain optimal reproductive health.

State Prescription Contraception Insurance Mandates: Effects on Unintended Births

OBJECTIVE

To test the effects of state prescription contraception insurance mandates on unintended, mistimed, and unwanted births in a sample of privately insured recent mothers.

DATA

We pooled Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data from 1997 to 2012 to study 209,964 privately insured recent mothers in 24 states, 11 of which implemented prescription contraception coverage mandates between 2000 and 2008.

STUDY DESIGN

Individual-level difference-in-differences models compare the probability of unintended birth among privately insured recent mothers in state-years with mandates to those in state-years without mandates. Additional models use aggregate data to estimate the effect of mandates on states' number of unintended births.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

State mandates are associated with decreased probability of unintended birth (1.58 percentage points) among privately insured women in the second year of implementation, driven by decreased probability of mistimed birth (1.37 percentage points or 614 births per state-year) in the second year of implementation. We find no effects in the first year of implementation or on the probability of unwanted birth. Unexpectedly, recent mothers without private insurance experienced declines in unintended birth, but among unwanted, rather than mistimed, births.

CONCLUSIONS

State prescription contraception insurance mandates are associated with reduced probability of unintended and mistimed births among privately insured women.