Between 2010 and 2017, the rate of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) diagnoses across states increased by 82%, indicating an increased need for policies that support substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and early intervention for pregnant and parenting individuals. Rates of NAS are also disproportionately high in babies born to people who are uninsured or covered by Medicaid; those babies diagnosed with NAS born to Medicaid-covered parents spend more time in the hospital and cost more than NAS babies born to privately-insured parents.
While states are obliged under CAPTA/CARA to report instances of NAS, the legislation did not standardize a definition of NAS or data reporting processes, creating challenges for states. This webinar explores two unique state approaches to data NAS data collection, analysis, and cross-agency data linkage, and how states leverage these data to inform better policy and improve health outcomes for both parents and infants.