Arkansas established the perinatal episode of care model under its Arkansas Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative in 2012. The goal of the perinatal episode was to encourage patient-centered care throughout pregnancy, reduce variation in the cost and quality of pregnancy care, and increase provider accountability for improving the quality and efficiency of perinatal care. Arkansas ended the payment model in 2021.
This fact sheet includes an overview of the model, details how the model was designed, describes the payment methodology, and summarizes the available research on the model’s effect on cost and quality.