Blessed Events and the Bottom Line: Financing Maternity Care in the United States : a Study
- ISBN-10
- 0939253062
- ISBN-13
- 9780939253067
- Category
- Federal aid to maternal health services
- Pages
- 60
- Language
- English
- Published
- 1987
- Publisher
- Alan Guttmacher Inst
Description
There is evidence, that not all Americans can take high-quality maternity care for granted. In some parts of the country, distance from a doctor or hospital is a problem; in others, medical personnel are in short supply. Some physicians are unwilling to accept high-risk patients, out of fear of expensive malpractice suits. Other doctors are reluctant to accept poor patients if they anticipate that their bills will not be paid, or that they will receive inadequate reimbursement from public insurance programs. Clearly, one important factor that contributes to the inability of many expectant mothers to obtain appropriate maternity care in a timely manner is the cost of having a baby. Although most people have insurance that covers the costs of maternity care, many people do not, or their coverage is inadequate.
