Skip to main content

Childbirth Tied to Medical Debt, Even Among Commercially Insured Families

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2023 -- Peripartum out-of-pocket costs are higher than many commercially insured families can afford, leading to medical debt, according to a research letter published online Sept. 28 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Michelle H. Moniz, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues evaluated the association between childbirth and having medical debt in collections. Differences were examined by neighborhood socioeconomic status. The analysis included a statewide cohort of commercially insured pregnant (14,560 individuals) and postpartum (12,157 individuals) adults.

The researchers found that having medical debt in collections was more likely among postpartum individuals versus pregnant individuals (adjusted odds ratio, 1.36) and among those in lowest-income neighborhoods versus all others (adjusted odds ratio, 2.18). The highest predicted probabilities of having medical debt in collections was seen among postpartum individuals in the lowest-income neighborhoods (28.9 percent), followed by pregnant individuals in the lowest-income neighborhoods (23.2 percent), and all other postpartum and pregnant people (16.1 and 12.5 percent, respectively).

"Policies to reduce maternal-infant health care spending among commercially insured individuals may mitigate financial hardship and improve birth equity," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted October 2023

Read this next

Mortality in Rheumatic Heart Disease Is High

FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- Mortality related to rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is high and is correlated with the severity of valve disease, according to a study published online June...

Higher County-Level Prostate Cancer Screening Tied to Better Outcomes

FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- Higher county-level prevalence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is associated with lower odds of advanced disease, all-cause mortality, and...

Metabolic Impact on Offspring Similar for Frozen, Fresh Embryo Transfer

FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- For glucose and lipid profiles during early childhood, the impact of frozen embryo transfer (FET) is comparable to that of fresh embryo transfer, according...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.