No abstract

Objectives To describe hospital utilization and costs associated with preterm or low birth weight births (preterm/LBW) by payer prior to implementation of the Affordable Care Act and to identify areas for improvement in the quality of care received among preterm/LBW infants. Methods Hospital utilization—defined as mean length of stay (LOS, days), secondary diagnoses for birth hospitalizations, primary diagnoses for rehospitalizations, and transfer status—and costs were described among preterm/LBW infants using the 2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Results Approximately 9.1 % of included hospitalizations (n = 4,167,900) were births among preterm/LBW infants; however, these birth hospitalizations accounted for 43.4 % of total costs. Rehospitalizations of all infants occurred at a rate of 5.9 % overall, but accounted for 22.6 % of total costs. This pattern was observed across all payer types. The prevalence of rehospitalizations was nearly twice as high among preterm/LBW infants covered by Medicaid (7.6 %) compared to commercially-insured infants (4.3 %). Neonatal transfers were more common among preterm/LBW infants whose deliveries and hospitalizations were covered by Medicaid (7.3 %) versus commercial insurance (6.5 %). Uninsured/self-pay preterm and LBW infants died in-hospital during the first year of life at a rate of 91 per 1000 discharges—nearly three times higher than preterm and LBW infants covered by either Medicaid (37 per 1000) or commercial insurance (32 per 1000). Conclusions When comparing preterm/LBW infants whose births were covered by Medicaid and commercial insurance, there were few differences in length of hospital stays and costs. However, opportunities for improvement within Medicaid and CHIP exist with regard to reducing rehospitalizations and neonatal transfers.

Improving women's health and perinatal health outcomes is a high priority for Medicaid, the jointly financed federal-state health coverage program. The authorities provided by the Affordable Care Act give Medicaid new resources and opportunities to improve coverage and perinatal care. Given that the Medicaid program currently covers almost half of all births in the United States, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in partnership with states and other stakeholders, is using new and existing authorities to improve birth outcomes. Quality measurement, quality-improvement projects, and expanded models of care underscore the major quality approach of the center. As an outgrowth of an expert panel that included membership of several state Medicaid medical directors, Medicaid providers, and consumer representatives, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services launched the Maternal and Infant Health Initiative, which aims to increase postpartum visit rates and the use of effective contraception among women covered by Medicaid. This Initiative provides focus on key opportunities and strategies to improve the rate, measurement, timing, and content of postpartum visits. Additionally, a focus on contraception will serve to improve pregnancy planning and spacing and prevent unintended pregnancy. As the Initiative evolves, the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services plans to identify policy, service delivery, and reimbursement policies to advance the Initiative's goals and improve outcomes for women covered by Medicaid.