Brief Emerging Opportunities for Addressing Maternal Depression under Medicaid
Embry M. Howell, Olivia Golden, William Beardslee
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This brief highlights opportunities and challenges for Medicaid programs in providing access to services for depressed mothers. Low income mothers have high rates of untreated depression, posing significant risks for them and their children. Medicaid covers many such mothers and children, and coverage will increase with implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Emerging opportunities include new approaches to screening and treatment and new federal funding for integrated health care models and patient-centered medical homes. Major challenges include fragmentation between primary care and mental health care systems and provider shortages. The brief provides suggestions for addressing these challenges.
Research and Evidence Health Policy Family and Financial Well-Being Tax and Income Supports
Expertise Families Social Safety Net Health Care Coverage, Access, and Affordability Reproductive and Maternal Health Medicare and Medicaid Early Childhood
Tags Welfare and safety net programs Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program  Children's health and development Medicare Maternal, child, and reproductive health Social determinants of health Children and youth