Three essays examining the health economics of women and their children

This dissertation is comprised of three essays examining aspects of the health economics of women and their children. Essay #1 investigates the relationship between Medicaid fees and the quality of prenatal services. Essay #2 investigates the relationship between Medicaid fees and birth outcomes. Essay #3 examines the association between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure from maternal smoking and health care expenditures among children.; Essay #1 investigates the effect of Medicaid fees on prenatal visit quality by comparing cross-sectional differences in Medicaid fees to differences in prenatal visit quantity and quality among a national sample of Medicaid recipients. This investigation suggests that test ordering, a medically important, yet neglected service, is particularly sensitive to reimbursement and that visit quantity is moderately sensitive to reimbursement. For example, simulating the impact of a 10% increase in fees (Medicaid/private) results in a 28% increase in visit test ordering and a 10% increase in visit frequency.; Essay #2 examines the relationship between Medicaid fees and birth outcomes among Medicaid insured pregnant women. This investigation suggests that higher fees are associated with better birth outcomes accruing from improvements in access to and quality of prenatal services. For instance, simulating the impact of raising Medicaid fees to private fee levels results in a 6.71% increase in birth weight, a 32.3% decrease in premature births and a 34.9% decrease in infant mortality, accruing from improvements in the effectiveness of Medicaid paid prenatal care. Additionally, this simulation results in a 27% reduction in low birth weight babies and a 35% reduction in infant mortality accruing from improvements in, access to, and effectiveness of Medicaid paid prenatal services.; Essay #3 examines the association between ETS exposure from maternal smoking and health care expenditures among children. The results of this investigation suggest that respiratory-related health care expenditures among children whose mothers smoke are significantly higher than those among children whose mothers do not smoke. For example, simulations suggest that annual expenditures are {dollar}146 ({dollar}1995) higher among children five years and under exposed to maternal smoking as opposed to children who are not.