Interesting research from UnitedHealth Group (press release) on its effort to reduce neonatal intensive care admissions. The company’s UnitedHealthcare unit had noticed an unusually high number of claims for NICU admissions in its southwest markets. Upon review, United found that 48% of these admissions were for babies delivered by C-section or induced labor prior to 39 weeks’ gestation; in other words, these were scheduled deliveries. Babies born before 39 weeks are susceptible to respiratory problems, says Tina Groat, M.D., UnitedHealthcare’s national medical director for women’s health. It’s not a problem as long as you check that the baby’s lung have matured, she says. United made this information available to local hospitals and neonatal practices in the southwest. A year later, Groat says, neonatal admissions dropped 46%. United is rolling out the initiative to nine markets: Texas (Houston, Dallas and central Texas); Illinois; Arizona; Utah; Kentucky; Indiana; and Columbus, OH. A typical neonatal admission costs United around $20,000, compared to just a few thousand dollars for an average delivery. We’ve got some calls out to neonatal providers, and we’ll see if we can get their response to the effort.
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