Among high-income nations, the United States is the most dangerous place to give birth. Communities of color, especially Black and Indigenous families, bear the brunt of this crisis. Changing how maternity care is provided, who provides this care, and how to pay for the care that childbearing families need and want must be part of advancing maternal health equity and excellence.

For the first time, our report assesses the actual impact of maternity care episode payment and maternity care home programs and provides recommendations for improving alternative payment models (APMs). A companion technical supplement details the project methodology, describes current program design features, and provides profiles of the studied programs.

Read our Health Affairs blog about these reports here.