Publications

Descriptions of programs implemented by Awardees participating in the Cost-Effective, Coordinated Care for Caregivers and Substance Exposed Newborns (C4SEN) Investment Program

One-page overview of the Birth Equity and Support through the Inclusion of Doula Expertise (BESIDE) Investment Program

One-page overview of the Cost-Effective, Coordinated Care for Caregivers and Substance Exposed Newborns (C4SEN) Investment Program

Video from the HPC Shorts series providing a spotlight on increasing out-of-pocket spending for birth care

A key aspect of the affordability challenge in Massachusetts is rising out-of-pocket (OOP) costs. The HPC has found that average OOP spending among commercially-insured residents increased by 20% from 2015-2017, with an estimated 100,000 Massachusetts residents facing persistently high OOP spending.

Midwives provide important care to birthing people, and midwifery is associated with good birth outcomes and lower costs. Despite this, the U.S. is significantly behind the global average for midwifery utilization amongst high-income nations. This HPC Short examines the state of midwifery in the Commonwealth and recommendations from the HPC to improve this landscape.

Despite favorable outcomes associated with midwifery care, and the potential of midwife-led care to help to address ongoing racial disparities in birth outcomes, rates of midwife-attended births in the U.S. remain low. The Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) and Maternity Care in Massachusetts report examines the state of midwifery in the Commonwealth and provides recommendations to improve this landscape.

This video focuses on the Maternal and Infant-Focused Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Investment Program’s interventions that have improved care and reduced hospital length of stay, NICU admissions, and need for pharmacologic treatment for opioid-exposed newborns and their mothers.

The Maternal and Infant-Focused Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Investment Program tested interventions to improve quality of care for opioid-exposed newborns and their mothers. This report evaluates the impact of both the NAS investment program and of specific interventions.