Investing in Maternal and Child Health

productivity associated with

preterm births totaled $5.7 billion

in 2005.^45

• Complications of pregnancy

account for 4,039 cases of short-

term disability per million covered

lives. In 2004, the average length

of a pregnancy-related short-term

disability is 7 days.^46

• Complications of pregnancy

account for 203 cases of long-

term disability per million

covered lives. The major causes

of long-term disability are:

twin pregnancy, premature

labor, antepartum hemorrhage,

postpartum hemorrhage, and

other complications. Most cases

resolve within 1 year.^46

Average Prenatal Care and Maternity-Related Hospital

Payments for Privately-Insured Women, 200 4

$7 ,20 5

$10 ,32 4

$46 3

$52 3

$0

$2 ,00 0

$4 ,00 0

$6 ,00 0

$8 ,00 0

$10 ,00 0

$12 ,00 0

Infant Hospital Charges

5,80 0

205 ,00 0

$0

$50 ,000

$10 0,000

$15 0,000

$20 0,000

$25 0,000

Normal birt hweigh t Low birt hweight

He alth care Cos ts Paid by Employe rs for

Care in th e Firs t Ye ar of Li fe , 200 1

$2 ,83 0

$41 ,61 0

$0

$5,00 0

$1 0,000

$1 5,000

$2 0,000

$2 5,000

$3 0,000

$3 5,000

$4 0,000

$4 5,000

Full -T erm Deli very , No

Compli ca tions

Deli very with Diagnosis

of Pre maturi ty

$2,830

Healthcare Costs Paid by Employees for Care

in the First Year of Life, 2001

Full-Term Delivery

Complications

Delivery with Diagnosis

of Prematurity

Source: March of Dimes. Costs of Maternity and Infant Care. White Plains, NY:

March of Dimes; June 2007

$45,000

$40,000

$35,000

$30,000

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0

$41,610

Preterm birth costs the U.S. economy $26.2 billion annually in medical, educational, and lost productivity costs.^1

Costing Out an Unhealthy Pregnancy

Analyzing your company’s medical claims will help you better

understand the cost of pregnancy complications in your

population. Standard metrics related to pregnancy outcomes

may be able to help you identify beneficiary risk profiles,

healthcare access problems, or other issues. Claims data,

paired with the following information, can help you develop a

value proposition for investing in healthy pregnancies^28 :

• Number/rate of preterm births.


• Rate of cesarean delivery.


• Rate of NICU admissions and re-admissions.


• Rate of labor induction.

To learn more about pregnancy-related costs, tract the

following diagnosis and procedure codes:

Diagnosis Codes^28

640-648: Complications mainly related to pregnancy.

650-659: Normal delivery and other indications for care in

pregnancy, labor and delivery.

660-669: Complications occurring mainly in the course of

labor and delivery.

670-677: Complications of the puerperum (after childbirth).

Procedure Codes^28

73.0: Labor induction by artificial rupture of the membranes.

73.1: Other induction of labor.

73.4: Medical induction of labor.

74.0-74.9: Cesarean section.