Both patients and maternity care providers can benefit from payment reform: four steps to prepare.

Abstract

Many Medicaid programs and private health plans are implementing new models of maternity care reimbursement, and clinicians face mounting pressure to demonstrate high-quality care at a lower cost. Clinicians will be better prepared to meet these challenges with a fuller understanding of new payment models and the opportunities they present. We describe the structure of maternity care episode payments and recommend 4 ways that clinicians can prepare for success as value-based payment models are implemented: identify opportunities to improve outcomes and experience, measure quality, reduce waste, and work in teams across settings.