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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommendations on Medicaid parity and future of pediatric subspecialty workforce

Journal of Perinatology (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Medicaid supports 41% of all births in the US and nearly 347,580 admissions to neonatal intensive care units in 2022. Medicaid reimbursement is critical to child health inclusive of departments of Pediatrics and children’s hospitals. Low Medicaid reimbursement is one of the causes for low pediatric subspecialist salaries and has led to workforce challenges. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently suggested increased Medicaid reimbursement as a strategy to sustain pediatric subspecialist workforce. This review article briefly outlines the importance of Medicaid reimbursement to Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and its role in providing coverage for preterm births. We also highlight the recommendations of NASEM pertaining to reimbursement that are relevant to neonatal care and its impact on providers, patients, and families. It is imperative that neonatologists join the rest of pediatric subspecialists in lending their support to demonstrate unity in ensuring success in the implementation of the NASEM recommendations.

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Fig. 1: Infographic of recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2023: the future pediatric physician workforce: meeting the needs of infants, children, and adolescents.
Fig. 2:  Distribution of Medicaid and Private Insurance among US births and NICU admissions.
Fig. 3: Percentage of births in US in 2022 covered by Medicaid, private insurance, and other (self-pay, unknown, not stated, and other) based on race and ethnicity.
Fig. 4: Productivity (wRVU) benchmarks are latest values from Clinical Practice Solutions Center (CPSC) adjusted for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) 2021 revision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Satyan Lakshminrusimha

  2. Vice Chancellor and CEO, UC Davis Health, Sacramento, CA, USA

    David A. Lubarsky

  3. Vizient Inc., Irving, TX, USA

    Rhae Ana Gamber

  4. Department of Pediatrics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Sherin U. Devaskar

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  1. Satyan Lakshminrusimha
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  2. David A. Lubarsky
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  3. Rhae Ana Gamber
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  4. Sherin U. Devaskar
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Contributions

SL conceptualized and wrote the first draft of the paper. RAG collected data, analyzed and created graphs, and revised the manuscript. DAL and SUD enhanced the concept and critically reviewed the manuscript. All authors approve the final submitted version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Satyan Lakshminrusimha.

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Lakshminrusimha, S., Lubarsky, D.A., Gamber, R.A. et al. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommendations on Medicaid parity and future of pediatric subspecialty workforce. J Perinatol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-024-01961-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-024-01961-z

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