Using Modernized Medicaid Data to Advance Evidence-Based Improvements in Maternal Health

Am J Public Health. 2023 May 4:e1-e6. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2023.307287. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTMedicaid is the primary payor for nearly half of all births in the United States and plays a disproportionate role in covering maternity care for low-income people, rural people, and minoritized racial groups. Newly available, modernized Medicaid claims data-the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System Analytic Files (TAF)-offer a significant opportunity to conduct novel research that can drive the development of evidence-based programs and policies for Medicaid beneficiaries before, during, and after pregnancy. Yet, the public health research community has so far underused the TAF for maternal health research. We provide an overview of the TAF and how they compare to other major data sets available to study maternal health. We highlight some major limitations of the TAF and offer strategies to maximize the potential of these novel data to accelerate timely, rigorous research to improve maternal health and health equity. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print May 4, 2023:e1-e6. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307287).PMID:37141557 | DOI:10.2105/AJPH.2023.307287
Source: American Journal of Public Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: research