Elevance Health: Doula Access Through Medicaid Managed Care Improves Maternal Health

This analysis uses data from nine Elevance Health-affiliated Medicaid plans to compare outcomes among women with and without doula care. Women with a doula were more likely to have pregnancy complications but experienced better outcomes when compared to women without a doula.

Additionally, women who received doula care starting in their first trimester experienced a lower prevalence of postpartum anxiety/postpartum depression. There were no differences in postpartum emergency department (ED) visits, inpatient admissions, or severe maternal morbidity despite the women with doula care having more clinical risk factors. This paper also provides lessons learned and considerations that could help inform Medicaid programs interested in implementing a doula benefit.

Newport Healthcare: New Research Released on Youth Mental Health Treatment

The well-being of American youth is plummeting. For the first time, the US no longer ranks among the 20 happiest countries, due solely to the high levels of unhappiness among young people. As a result, more than half of working parents miss work at least once per month to deal with their children’s mental health, a Nationwide Foundation poll found.

New research from Newport Healthcare’s Center for Research and Innovation looks at the impact of residential and outpatient treatment on multiple measures of adolescent and young adult mental health, including anxiety, depression, well-being, suicide risk, traumatic distress, and family attachment.