New legislation was introduced this week to help newborns suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a withdrawal condition often caused by use of opioids and other addictive substances in pregnant women.
The Caring Recovery for Infants and Babies (CRIB) Act would recognize residential pediatric recovery facilities as providers under Medicaid, allowing them to bill Medicaid for the services they offer.
"Every 25 minutes, a baby suffering from opiate withdrawal is born," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, one of the bill sponsors. "In West Virginia, that rate is approximately three times the national average."
She said with cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome on the rise, the focus needs to be ensuring that babies experiencing withdrawals have access to specialized care and a range of treatment options.
"This type of care is already available at Lily’s Place in Huntington, and the CRIB Act will make it easier for other states to create similar treatment facilities.”
Because newborns with NAS require specialized care, caring for these babies can result in longer hospital stays and increased costs. These babies are usually treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and treatment costs are more than five times the cost of treating other newborns.
The CRIB Act would allow Medicaid to cover these services in residential pediatric recovery facilities in addition to hospitals. An alternative setting to a NICU, residential pediatric recovery facilities offer specialized care and an environment conducive to treating newborns with NAS, as well as counseling for mothers and families that emphasizes family bonding.
Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Angus King (I-Maine), along with Reps. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) also sponsored the bill.
“There isn’t a community in Ohio that hasn’t been touched by the opioid abuse epidemic, and we are doing all we can to fight it,” Brown said.
“Too many victims of this epidemic are the infants born to mothers who struggle with addiction. One promising new option to care for newborns suffering from withdrawal is a residential pediatric recovery facility, which gives specialized care in an environment conducive to treating newborns with NAS, along with counseling for mothers and families."
King said the pain caused by the opioid epidemic "knows no bounds" in its effect on young, innocent members of society.
"By giving states the choice to recognize residential pediatric recovery facilities as providers under Medicaid, this bill can increase options for young families struggling with this heartbreaking situation so that babies affected by the relentless wave of addiction receive the quality care they need," King said.