Premature births cost health plans $6 billion annually
Birth defects affect 1 in 33 babies and are a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. More than 5,500 infants die each year because of birth defects. The babies who live with birth defects are at increased risk for developing many lifelong physical , cognitive and social challenges that also affect their families. The study, by researchers at the University of Utah and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), illustrates the substantial burden on insurers of premature births as well as the challenges in assessing the potential financial benefit of new interventions to prevent early births. Pediatrics published the study, "Employer-Sponsored Plan Expenditures for Infants Born Preterm," on Sept. 21. Lead authors are Scott D. Grosse, research economist at the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, and Norman J. Waitzman, professor and chair of the Department of Economics at the University of Utah. Appro...