(NYT) – I am a physician who runs her state’s health agency. I had good insurance, paid leave and a fluency with institutions most new mothers should never need. What I did not have was a single provider who could serve as a quarterback for my care.

The dominant obstetric care model treats postpartum recovery as a brief coda to pregnancy: a short follow-up interval, punctuated by a three- to six-week clinic visit. Our reimbursement system reinforces that assumption, bundling prenatal care, delivery and immediate postpartum care into a single global fee, even as recovery extends months longer. (Read More)