Black, Hispanic maternal care costs are higher

 Axios - Black and Hispanic people paid more in out-of-pocket costs for maternal care than Asian and white people with the same commercial insurance, a new study published in JAMA Health Forum found.

Black mothers in the U.S. are three times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white mothers. About 80% of these deaths are preventable.

The study looked at pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care claims data from 77,000 patients insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts from 2018 through 2022.

What they found: Black enrollees spent an average of $2,398 in total out-of-pocket spending for maternity care, between their deductible, copayments and coinsurance — or the amount an enrollee pays after they've hit their deductible. Hispanic enrollees paid $2,300, while Asian enrollees paid $2,202 and white enrollees $2,036, on average.

Zoom in: Cost differences were especially pronounced for prenatal care, with Black enrollees paying 74% more than white people, the researchers found. Prenatal care is important to help avoid complications during birth. More