The report did not indicate how much the added payments were. Arkansas’ Medicaid program worked with the Arkansas Hospital Association and Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care to add medical necessity for early, elective deliveries before 39 weeks of pregnancy to its incentive program. The state said delivering babies prematurely could increase newborns’ complications, and this small measure could save on potential healthcare costs.
“Clinical evidence shows that delivering a baby before 39 weeks increases the risks for complications and possible developmental delays,” William Golden, MD, Arkansas Medicaid medical director, said in the report. “While some early deliveries are unavoidable because of medical issues, experts now strongly discourage elective deliveries at 37 or 38 weeks as being too risky for the newborn baby.”
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