Share of Cost, Study suggest that revised Medicaid sterilization policy may reduce unintended pregnancies, save $215 million in annual public health costs
A revised Medicaid sterilization policy that removes logistical barriers, including a mandatory 30-day waiting period, could potentially honor women’s reproductive decisions, reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and save $215 million in public health costs each year, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Their findings, published in the journal Contraception, support growing evidence for the need to revisit a national policy that disproportionally affects low-income and minority women at high risk for unintended pregnancies.