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The Impact of State Medicaid Eligibility and Benefits Policy on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Hospitalizations.

Aparna SoniLindsey BullingerChristina AndrewsAmanda AbrahamKosali Simon
Published in: Contemporary economic policy (2023)
Rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) resulting from opioid misuse are rising. However, policies to treat opioid misuse during pregnancy are unclear. We apply a difference-in-differences design to national pediatric discharge records to examine the effects of state Medicaid policies on NAS. Among states in which Medicaid covered two clinically-recommended medications for treating opioid misuse (buprenorphine, methadone), the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion reduced Medicaid-covered NAS hospitalizations. Medicaid expansion did not affect NAS hospitalizations in other expansion states. These findings imply a nuanced relationship between Medicaid policy and NAS that should be considered in addressing opioid misuse among pregnant women.
Keyphrases
  • affordable care act
  • chronic pain
  • health insurance
  • healthcare
  • public health
  • pain management
  • mental health
  • case report
  • quality improvement