It is not known how much, if any, of this variation can be attributed to the impact of Act 85. The length of hospital stays has been the subject of much debate in recent years. Act 85 requires health insurance policies that provide maternity benefits to provide coverage for a minimum of 48 hours of inpatient care following normal vaginal delivery and for 96 hours following a Cesarean section with certain limited exceptions. The federal Newborns and Mothers' Health Protection Act took effect in 1998 and required insurance coverage for 48 hours for a vaginal delivery and 4 days coverage for a C-section. The analysis goes on to note that the long-term impact of minimum maternity stay legislation is not yet clear.
Additional study is needed, therefore, to learn the full impact of minimum maternity stay mandates.
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