The American healthcare system bundles prenatal, delivery and postpartum care into a single global fee, creating a critical gap in maternal health coverage. Beginning next year, the American Medical Association will replace this with separate billing codes, potentially worsening the problem by further fragmenting care accountability.

This fragmented approach affects more than just patient outcomes—business implications include increased costs for treating preventable complications and lower birth rates. Women experiencing serious complications are 20% less likely to have another child, impacting healthcare revenue streams and family planning services.

Dr. Sejal Hathi proposes treating mother and infant as a single unit of care through the first year, potentially integrated at pediatric offices. This model could address the preventable maternal mortality crisis while creating new revenue streams for coordinated care services.