شرف :
You’d think the government would have a better solution to this problem, however statistics show that this is affecting approximately one in seven new mothers and being a leading cause of postpartum mortality, postpartum depression (PPD) in the U.S. often goes undiagnosed and untreated due to structural shortcomings in the healthcare system. [1] The fragmented care model; spanning obstetricians, pediatricians, and primary care providers, lacks integration, leading to inconsistent screening and follow-up. [2] While Medicaid finances over 40% of U.S. births, postpartum coverage traditionally ends at 60 days, leaving many without access to mental health services when needs peak, though extensions to 12 months are being gradually adopted. [3] Screenings remain underutilized; fewer than 20% of women receive depression screening during pregnancy or postpartum, with only a fraction receiving follow-up care. [4] Other obstacles include stigma, insufficient paid maternity leave, lack of coordinated home or community support, health inequities in screening; especially among women of color, and high rates (over 50%) of missed postpartum visits. [5] Collectively, these gaps perpetuate poor maternal outcomes and underscore the urgent need for standardized, comprehensive postpartum mental health protocols. So why haven’t they resolved and improved these issues? The main reasons are a mix of federal and state rules, political disagreements about government spending, and the fact that doctors and hospitals are not paid enough for postpartum services. Many states have expanded Medicaid to cover mothers for one year after birth, but some states have not because of cost and politics [6]. Hospitals also lose money on maternity care because Medicaid pays less than private insurance, which discourages them from adding more postpartum support [7]. Changing the way doctors and hospitals are paid (value-based payments) could help, but these programs are still new and not used everywhere [8]. On top of that, Black and Hispanic mothers face much higher costs and barriers, which makes the gap in care even worse [9]. Overall, the U.S. needs better coordination (1/?)
2025-09-10 13:07:40