How health insurance rules affect pregnancy safety and outcomes
Official title: Improving Maternal Health through Policy Interventions
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11238943 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether expanding health insurance through three national policies helps lower serious pregnancy complications and deaths for people who give birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | May 3, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $323,361 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD018410-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238943 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This work is most directly relevant to pregnant and postpartum people in the United States—especially those on Medicaid or private insurance whose coverage might change because of these policies.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the U.S. or whose care was not affected by these specific insurance policies (for example, those who already had continuous comprehensive coverage) are unlikely to be directly affected by the study's findings.
What this research studies
From a patient point of view, researchers will compare large health and insurance records from before and after three major policy changes to see if more people had continuous coverage from before pregnancy through the year after birth. They focus on three policies: the ACA dependent coverage rule (young adults staying on parents' plans), the 2014 Medicaid expansion, and the COVID-era rule that temporarily kept people enrolled in Medicaid after delivery. The team will track rates of severe maternal morbidity (serious complications around labor and delivery) across states and time to see where and when outcomes improved. Results come from existing medical and insurance data rather than in-person visits, so the study looks at real-world effects of policy on people's care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the findings show better insurance continuity lowers severe maternal complications, they could support policy changes that keep more birthing people covered and safer around pregnancy.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows insurance expansions increase coverage and access to care and some studies link Medicaid expansion to improved maternal outcomes, but direct evidence tying these specific policies to reductions in severe maternal morbidity is still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guglielminotti, Jean R — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Guglielminotti, Jean R
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.