title: Maternal minimum-stay legislation: cost and policy implications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, most state legislatures and Congress have passed laws mandating insurance coverage for a minimum period of inpatient care following delivery. This study analyzed the likely cost implications of one state's law.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital discharge records for Illinois women who gave birth (n = 167,769) and infants born (n = 164,905) during a 12-month period predating the law were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As a percentage of total spending on birth-related admissions and readmissions, the net effect of the law ranges from a savings of 0.1% to a cost of 20.2%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There may be large cost implications to this legislation, even with savings from avoided re-admissions.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Administration Studies, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA. k-raube@uchicago.edu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raube
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Merrell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*