Women's Health

Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont were the only 3 states to not report any pregnancy-associated firearm-related deaths from 2018 to 2022, according to National Center for Health Statistics data.

Acts of discrimination, including subtle microaggressions, during pregnancy and childbirth contribute to higher maternal mortality rates, especially among Black women, and are linked to increased postpartum blood pressure, highlighting the need for improved health care interventions and racial equity in maternity care.

Sarah Ahmad, MBA, CEO of the Coalition for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH), dives into the financial, physical, and emotional toll of neglecting women's health in an interview.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with CVS Health's vice president and chief medical officer for women's health and genomics about advancements and challenges in women's health, focusing on care access, technology, and maternal outcomes.

The Center on Health Equity & Access highlights news and expert insights on research, social determinants of health, and health policy.

There are significant financial and psychological burdens of abortion care in the US, especially for those traveling out of state due to local restrictions in the increasingly restrictive post-Dobbs landscape.

The Dobbs decision was associated with a 7% absolute increase in overall infant mortality—equivalent to 247 excess deaths—and a 10% increase among infants with congenital anomalies, corresponding to 204 additional deaths.

Of the 10% of women contacted for this survey who said that they or their partner had ever sought fertility assistance, only 7% were able to get the necessary care; cost was cited as the top reason for not being able to access fertility services.

Etonogestrel-releasing contraceptive implants in women with sickle cell disease significantly reduced pain intensity and frequency of pain crises over 12 months, with no adverse changes in metabolic or liver function markers.

Rachel Dalthorp, MD, discusses how zuranolone (Zurzuvae) can improve postpartum depression when compared with previous treatment approaches.

Aetna has become the first major US insurer to expand access to fertility services by covering intrauterine insemination as a medical benefit for all eligible plans, marking a significant move toward greater equity in family-building options for people of all backgrounds.

While the evidence demonstrating the poor state of American women's health is not new, the nation's trends of maternal fatality may reflect broader failures in the approach to women's health care.

While resources and strategies to combat social determinants of health do exist, effectively leveraging them requires a coordinated approach involving supportive policies, technical assistance, community governance, and sustainable financing.

Screening for postpartum depression while patients are pregnant is a crucial step to ensuring they get access to treatment if they need it postpartum, according to Rachel Dalthorp, MD, of LifeStance Health.

The Commonwealth Fund scorecard ranks Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, and Oklahoma among the poorest-performing states overall for women’s health care access, quality, and outcomes, while Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island rank at the top.

The 2025 Physician Fee Schedule includes a conversion factor reduction, expanded behavioral health services, extended telehealth waivers, new Quality Payment Program pathways, and measures to address suspect billing, alongside a Biden administration initiative introducing federal maternal health standards for hospitals.

Rachel Dalthorp, MD, explains that zuranolone is recommended as the first-line medication, alongside psychotherapy, to effectively manage postpartum depression (PPD) and mitigate long-term impacts.

Douglas Weber, MD, explains how zuranolone has changed the landscape for postpartum depression treatment, addressing a gap in care within maternal health.

"As a health care provider and as a psychiatrist, it's something that I think about first—instead of step therapy, when I have a patient with postpartum depression, this is what they need to be on," Rachel Dalthorp, MD, explains.

This cross-sectional analysis of commercially insured delivering mothers suggests that greater out-of-pocket spending is incurred when pregnancy spans 2 years, causing them to face out-of-pocket limits twice.

In a joint letter addressed to Congress, Healthcare Across Borders, Take Back the Court Action Fund, and UltraViolet Action called out the resurgence of the Comstock Act, urging immediate action to repeal this century-old law that threatens reproductive rights and public health in the US.

The senate hearing held by the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I, Vermont), chairman of the committee, and ranking member Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, (R, Louisiana), addressed the critical issue of physician and health care worker shortages, as well as the maternal health crisis, in the US.

In a presentation at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health Women’s Health Summit, Shelly Lanning, cofounder and president of Visana Health, addressed the need for comprehensive approaches in women’s health care and their coverage options.

A presentation at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health's 2024 Women’s Health Summit discussed how payers, including employers and public entities, can strategically influence health care purchasing to prioritize maternal health and equity.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights is investigating whether patient data were exposed in the cyberattack on Change Healthcare; a new study claims that the US’ high maternal mortality rates are the product of flawed data; HHS secretary is open to drug testing recipients of welfare.