Public Policy Studies

• The March of Dimes funds policy studies to support federal and state advocacy initiatives.
• We track current health policy research and policy analyses of health care services.
• We analyze public policies affecting women and children as well as tax-exempt organizations.

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The following reports, which were funded by the March of Dimes, analyze health care services and programs affecting women, infants and children. Our Office of Government Affairs solicits research proposals (PDF, 319kb) on an ongoing basis.

The Distribution of Health Insurance Coverage among Pregnant Women
The Distribution of Health Insurance Coverage among Pregnant Women (PDF, 531kb) was prepared by Kenneth Thorpe from Emory University in 2010. It focuses on changes in insurance status throughout pregnancy and examines characteristics of women that are uninsured for all or part of pregnancy. Among the findings are that over a quarter of all pregnant women lacked health insurance during part or all of their pregnancies, and that women who obtained coverage during pregnancy primarily obtained it through Medicaid.

Coverage and Payment of Quality Preconception and Interconception Care
Coverage and Payment of Quality Preconception and Interconception Care for Women of Child-Bearing Age Enrolled in Medicaid Family Planning Waiver Programs (PDF, 416kb) was prepared by Anne Rossier Markus, JD, PhD, MHS, of George Washington University in 2009. It includes the findings from six pilot studies examining family planning waiver programs in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, and New York.

Medicaid Outreach and Enrollment for Pregnant Women
Authored by the Urban Institute in 2009, Medicaid Outreach and Enrollment for Pregnant Women (PDF, 113kb) assesses current practices by state Medicaid programs to reach out to and enroll pregnant women into coverage. The report includes findings from a literature review, 50-state survey of Medicaid officials, and site visits in Louisiana and New York.

The Healthcare Costs of Having a Baby
In 2007, Thomson Healthcare did an analysis on The Healthcare Costs of Having a Baby (PDF, 99kb) estimating the costs of prenatal, delivery-related, and postpartum health care associated with having a baby in the privately insured population in the United States.

Analysis of Medicaid Benefit Coverage for Children without EPSDT
Prepared for the March of Dimes and the National Association of Children’s Hospitals by the Maternal and Child Health Policy Research Center in 2005, the report (PDF, 384kb) analyzes limits on the amount, duration, and scope of Medicaid coverage that would be available to children in 50 states if the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit requirement was eliminated and states applied the coverage policies currently in effect for categorically needy adults.

Influencing Interventions to Promote Positive Pregnancy Outcomes
Prepared by Health Systems Research, Inc., in Washington, DC, the 2004 report, Influencing Interventions to Promote Positive Pregnancy Outcomes and Reduce the Incidence of Low Birth Weight and Preterm Infants (PDF, 340kb), offers an overview on national policy efforts, federal programs, clinical guidelines, proposed legislation, and Medicaid policies. Case studies are provided, as well as an analysis of implications for advocacy.

Using Medicaid to Support Preterm Birth Prevention
In a 2004 study by Elinor Hall, MPH, and Michelle Berlin, MD, MPH, entitled Using Medicaid to Support Preterm Birth Prevention: Five Case Studies (PDF, 113kb), the authors examine five Medicaid programs that improved birth outcomes and had an impact on premature birth rates. Case studies cover programs in Florida, Louisiana, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Arizona. Maternal and child health specialists will find recommendations for program restructuring, financing and creating new programs.

See also: March of Dimes Data Book for Policy Makers , Census Data on Health insurance coverage of women and children (PDF, 232kb)