A new bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to help newborns suffering from withdrawal recover in the best care setting and to provide support for their families.
The Caring Recovery for Infants and Babies (CRIB) Act would allow Medicaid to cover health care services provided to infants in residential pediatric recovery facilities in addition to hospitals.
Similar to the earlier version of the CRIB Act the senators introduced at this time last year, the latest version of this legislation would clarify that babies receiving services in residential pediatric recovery centers can continue to receive services after 1 year of age and provide for activities to encourage caregiver-infant bonding.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the pain and suffering of infants who have been exposed to drugs before they’re even born. Unfortunately, the number of infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome continues to grow in West Virginia,” said U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. “The CRIB Act will help ensure these babies have access to the specialized care and range of treatment options they need to overcome the awful effects of this problem and put them on the path to recovery.”
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a withdrawal condition often caused by use of opioids and other addictive substances in pregnant women. Babies with NAS are usually treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where treatment costs can be more than five times the cost of treating other newborns.
With the bright lights and loud noises, the NICU is not always the best place for newborns suffering from withdrawal. Residential pediatric recovery facilities, an alternative setting to a NICU, offer specialized care and an environment conducive to treating newborns with NAS, as well as counseling for mothers and families that emphasizes caregiver-infant bonding.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Lily’s Place in Huntington, a residential pediatric recovery facility, is doing exceptional work to provide specialized care to infants exposed to or dependent upon opioids.
By allowing Medicaid to cover these kinds of healthcare services, the CRIB Act will expand access for West Virginia children and families ensuring every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong,” Manchin said.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports West Virginia’s incidence rate of babies born exposed to opioids was 50.6 cases per 1,000 live births (5.06 percent).
In addition to Manchin and Capito, the following senators helped introduce the legislation: Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Angus King, I-Maine, Dean Heller, D-Nev., Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
The legislation will be considered by the Senate Finance Committee.