Recipient of the Arrow Prize for Junior Economists

A BEJEAP Advances article.

Abstract

This paper measures the impact of midwifery-promoting public policies on maternity care in the United States, using national Vital Statistics data on births spanning 1989-1999. State laws mandating insurance coverage of midwifery services are associated with an 18-percentage rise in midwife-attended births. The laws did not decrease rates of cesarean deliveries or lead to consistent effects on maternal mortality or Apgar scores. They did, however, lead to a statistically significant drop in neonatal deaths. Divergence between OLS and natural experiment estimates suggests that women are selecting into provider groups based on unobserved preferences and health.

Submitted: March 10, 2006 · Accepted: August 26, 2006 · Published: October 18, 2006

Originally published in Advances in Economic Analysis & Policy.

Recommended Citation

Miller, Amalia R. (2006) "The Impact of Midwifery-Promoting Public Policies on Medical Interventions and Health Outcomes," Advances in Economic Analysis & Policy: Vol. 6 : Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/bejeap/advances/vol6/iss1/art6