Rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) resulting from opioid misuse are rising. However, policies to treat opioid misuse during pregnancy are unclear. We apply a difference-in-differences design to national pediatric discharge records to examine the effects of state Medicaid policies on NAS. Among states in which Medicaid covered two clinically-recommended medications for treating opioid misuse (buprenorphine, methadone), the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion reduced Medicaid-covered NAS hospitalizations. Medicaid expansion did not affect NAS hospitalizations in other expansion states. These findings imply a nuanced relationship between Medicaid policy and NAS that should be considered in addressing opioid misuse among pregnant women.

中文翻译：

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州医疗补助资格和福利政策对新生儿戒断综合症住院的影响


由于滥用阿片类药物而导致的新生儿戒断综合征 (NAS) 的发生率正在上升。然而，治疗怀孕期间阿片类药物滥用的政策尚不清楚。我们对国家儿科出院记录应用双重差分设计，以检验州医疗补助政策对 NAS 的影响。在医疗补助覆盖两种治疗阿片类药物滥用的临床推荐药物（丁丙诺啡、美沙酮）的州中，平价医疗法案的医疗补助扩张减少了医疗补助覆盖的 NAS 住院治疗。医疗补助扩张并未影响其他扩张州的 NAS 住院治疗。这些发现意味着医疗补助政策和 NAS 之间存在微妙的关系，在解决孕妇阿片类药物滥用问题时应予以考虑。