Understanding the impact of perinatal insurance disruptions on maternal and child health outcomes

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Candidate: Lindsay Admon, MD, MSc is an obstetrician-gynecologist and junior health services researcher
focused on improving health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women. Dr. Admon’s long-term career
objective is to become an independent investigator who is deeply committed to advancing maternal health
equity in the United States (US) through maternal health policy evaluation.
Research Context: Disruptions in insurance coverage during the perinatal period are frequent among the 4
million women giving birth in the US each year and particularly affect low-income, racial and ethnic minority,
and rural women as well as those with chronic conditions. The overarching hypothesis of this proposal is that
insurance disruptions contribute to adverse maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes. The knowledge
generated by this proposal will inform clinical and policy strategies for addressing the maternal health crisis.
Candidate’s Background and Achievements: Dr. Admon is an Assistant Professor in Obstetrics &
Gynecology at the University of Michigan. She earned a Masters degree in Health and Healthcare Research
through the National Clinician Scholar’s Program. To date, she has published 24 original, peer-reviewed
research publications, including 15 on which she was the first or senior author. Based on her scientific body of
work, she was recently invited to lecture at the Eunice Kennedy Shiver National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development’s Workshop “Maternal Mortality in the United States: Future Research Directions.”
Career Development Plan: In order to achieve her goals, Dr. Admon will develop new expertise in
econometrics and survey methodology, working with Medicaid claims, and understanding Medicaid policy. Dr.
Admon’s career development goals will be supported by close mentorship from an interdisciplinary team,
advanced didactic coursework, and ongoing guidance in her research.
Specific Aims: 1) Measure the association between perinatal insurance disruptions and healthcare utilization
and health outcomes for mothers and their children (birth to 60 days postpartum); 2) Characterize association
between insurance disruptions and unmet healthcare needs (birth to six months postpartum); and 3) Among
low-income mother sin Michigan, examine the associations between new maternal eligibility for Medicaid
coverage (60 days to one year postpartum) under Medicaid expansion and maternal and infant enrollment in
Medicaid and healthcare utilization among infants during the first year after birth.
Deliverables: The proposed aims will contribute to the successful development of two R01 proposals: 1) To
further evaluate the role of insurance eligibility and benefit design in supporting the health of pregnant and
postpartum women; 2) To conduct a nationwide survey to explore more refine hypotheses on the associations
between insurance coverage, unmet healthcare needs, and MCH outcomes during the first year postpartum.

Grant Number: 5K08HS027640-05
NIH Institute/Center: AHRQ
Principal Investigator: Lindsay Admon