Pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorder (SUD) are at risk for poor maternal outcomes, including preterm labor and delivery-related complications. Their infants are at risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). In the first part of this session, staff present data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services on the prevalence of these conditions and access to treatment.
During the second part of the session, three panelists with clinical, operations, and Medicaid policy expertise discuss access to treatment for pregnant women with an SUD and infants with NAS, as well as steps their states are taking to improve access to care for these populations. The panelists include:
- Stephen Patrick, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy and associate professor of pediatrics and health policy at Vanderbilt University;
- James Becker, vice dean of health care policy and external affairs at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University and medical director at West Virginia Medicaid; and
- Olivia Alford, director of the value-based purchasing unit at MaineCare.
Download Dr. Patrick’s and Dr. Becker’s presentations here.