Document Type

Capstone

Publication Date

Fall 4-17-2024

Keywords

maternal, healthcare, birth, birthing centers, regulation, policy, certificate of need, scope of practice, midwives, doulas, OB-GYN, state policy, pregnancy, access to care, maternal mortality, prenatal care

Abstract

Do restrictive healthcare policies impact whether expectant mothers receive adequate prenatal care? Could such policies also affect access to alternative birthing options for delivery? Through a literature review and a two-way fixed effects model using panel data, this study investigates two categories of state-level restrictive healthcare policies: scope of practice laws and certificate of need laws. The literature demonstrates the detriments of scope of practice care on access to care and maternal health. However, the statistical models presented on scope of practice find no relationship between scope of practice laws and adequate prenatal care or alternative birthing options. Though the literature finds that on the whole, certificate of need laws negatively impact access to care, the literature has nothing to say about certificate of need and maternal healthcare specifically. To that end, this study finds that states with certificate of need laws increases the rates of inadequate prenatal care by 8%. To address this issue, policymakers should focus targeting states with certificate of need laws that regulate services related to maternal healthcare, such as West Virginia, Kentucky, and Florida.

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