Improving postpartum care utilization among Medicaid members remains a persistent public health challenge. While roughly 70% of Coloradans access care within a year of delivery, only 66% of Medicaid-covered individuals do, and rates have dropped in recent years. To address gaps in postpartum visit completion and connect members to supportive services, Colorado Access and Family Connects partnered in Arapahoe County and Denver County to leverage Colorado Access member incentives to encourage participation in nurse-led postpartum home visits and completion of 6-week postpartum care. This project examines whether incentives, combined with trusted community-based care, increase engagement in home visitation and timely postpartum care.
Beginning in March 2026, Colorado Access collaborated with Family Connects programs housed at Denver Health and Arapahoe County Public Health, both of which provide evidence-based nurse home visits 3–12 weeks after birth. Eligible members received gift card incentives for completing a home visit and for attending their 6-week postpartum visit. The evaluation will compare postpartum visit completion rates between participants and non-participants. Implementation processes, including workflows across varying electronic health record systems and incentive distribution models, will be assessed to identify operational strengths and challenges.
Preliminary findings indicate variability in implementation across sites due to differences in systems and workflows. Early data suggest increased interest in postpartum care engagement among participants receiving incentives. More outcome analysis will be available at the time of presentation.
This partnership highlights the importance of collaboration across healthcare and public health systems to improve maternal health outcomes. While multi-organizational partnerships introduce complexity, strong communication, adaptability, and shared goals are critical to success. This work demonstrates that we are stronger together when leveraging community partnerships to enhance care access and support for postpartum individuals.
