Health Law and Policy Commons^™

Drive-Through Deliveries: Indiscriminate Postpartum Early Discharge Practices Presently Necessitate Legislation Mandating Minimum Inpatient Hospital Stays, Tracy Wilson Smirnoff

Cleveland State Law Review

"Drive-through deliveries," women delivering their babies and leaving the hospital only a few hours, rather than days, later are increasingly becoming the standard of care in the United States. This Note argues that legislation mandating minimum inpatient postpartum hospital stays is presently the best possible solution to the overreaching control MCOs have over doctors, the standard of care, and the length of hospital stays based on their willingness to cover treatment. Part H of this Note reviews the development of postpartum care during the twentieth century. This section also discusses the reasoning for the concerns regarding the early discharge of …