Issue Brief: Medicaid Health Plan Roles to Reduce Preterm Birth Risk

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To commemorate World Prematurity Day, Medicaid Health Plans of America, the national advocacy group for Medicaid managed care organizations, released "Preterm Birth Prevention: Evidence-Based Use of Progesterone Treatment - Issue Brief and Action Steps for Medicaid Health Plans" to help health plans target the problem of preterm birth, the leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality in the U.S. 

Preterm births affect 11.5% of births and account for 50% of all pregnancy costs, much of which is shouldered by the Medicaid program.  Not only does Medicaid pay for approximately 48% of all births in the U.S., this group of mothers has twice as many adverse outcomes as non-Medicaid mothers.  The brief offers a summary of clinical information, links to research and assessment tools, and an outline of strategies that can be used by health plans to promote evidence-based screening and treatment. 

In 2012 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Society for Maternal and Fetal Medicine (SMFM), and the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) issued recommendations for use of progesterone to reduce risk of preterm birth in pregnant women with certain risk factors. The two types of progesterone, 17-OHPC and vaginal progesterone, continue to be underused by obstetric providers.  "Health plans see the urgency of preventing preterm birth," said Jeff Myers, MHPA's president and CEO.  "Our brief will help health plans develop quality initiatives and to work with doctors to speed up adoption of national recommendations." 

"There is no more devastating or expensive problem in obstetrics than preterm birth," noted Jerry Joseph, MD, vice president of practice activities at ACOG. "We firmly believe that more attention, education, and prioritization are needed to help realize the potential of both 17-OHPC and vaginal progesterone to improve maternal and infant outcomes and reduce cost."

The MHPA Issue Brief is based on the Leadership Roundtable hosted by MHPA that brought together senior clinicians from health plans, national experts in obstetrics, and representatives from the March of Dimes, ACOG, and SMFM.  The Leadership Roundtable and Issue Brief were supported by an unrestricted grant from Cervilenz Inc. to the MHPA Center for Best Practices.

About MHPA
Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA) is the leading national trade association solely focused on representing the universe of Medicaid health plans. MHPA works on behalf of 123 commercial and non-profit plans that serve over 20 million lives in 33 states and D.C. MHPA provides advocacy and research that support policy solutions to enhance the delivery of quality care to disadvantaged Americans. For more information, visit www.mhpa.org.

About ACOG
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), a 501(c)(3) organization, is the nation's leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, The College strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women's health care. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a 501(c)(6) organization, is its companion organization. www.acog.org

Contact: Joe Reblando
[email protected] 
202-857-5722

SOURCE Medicaid Health Plans of America

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