NAS Healthy Babies Act

Nurturing and Supporting Healthy Babies Act or the NAS Healthy Babies Act

(Sec. 2) This bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which results from a newborn's exposure to addictive opiate drugs while in the mother's womb.

Specifically, the GAO shall report on:

• the prevalence of NAS,
• NAS treatment services for which coverage is available under state Medicaid programs,
• the settings and associated reimbursement methodologies for NAS treatment,
• the prevalence of utilization of various care settings under state Medicaid programs for NAS treatment,
• any federal barriers to treating infants with NAS under state Medicaid programs, and
• best practices for treating infants with NAS.

The GAO shall also report on its recommendations for improvements that will ensure access to NAS treatment under state Medicaid programs.

(Sec. 3) The bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to exclude abuse-deterrent formulations of prescription drugs from the requirement that manufacturers of single-source or innovator drugs pay additional rebates to state Medicaid programs.

(Sec. 4) Under current law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must use predictive modeling and other analytic technologies to identify improper Medicaid claims. The bill prohibits a state agency from using or disclosing such technologies except for purposes of administering a state Medicaid program or Children's Health Insurance Program. A state agency shall have in effect adequate data security and control policies to ensure that access to such information is restricted to authorized persons for authorized uses.

(Sec. 5) The bill places $5 million in the Medicaid Improvement Fund to be available beginning in FY2021.

[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4978 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4978

To require the Government Accountability Office to submit to Congress a 
 report on neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in the United States and 
                     its treatment under Medicaid.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2016

Mr. Jenkins of West Virginia (for himself, Mrs. Bustos, Mr. Costello of 
 Pennsylvania, Ms. Kuster, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. Poliquin, and Mr. Womack) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Government Accountability Office to submit to Congress a 
 report on neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in the United States and 
                     its treatment under Medicaid.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Nurturing And Supporting Healthy 
Babies Act'' or as the ``NAS Healthy Babies Act''.

SEC. 2. GAO REPORT ON NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME (NAS).

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Finance and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report on 
neonatal abstinence syndrome (in this section referred to as ``NAS'') 
in the United States.
    (b) Information To Be Included in Report.--Such report shall 
include information on the following:
            (1) The prevalence of NAS in the United States, including 
        the proportion of children born in the United States with NAS 
        who are eligible for medical assistance under State Medicaid 
        programs under title XIX of the Social Security Act at birth 
        and the costs associated with NAS through such programs.
            (2) The services for which coverage is available under 
        State Medicaid programs for treatment of infants with NAS.
            (3) The settings (including inpatient, outpatient, 
        hospital-based, and other settings) for the treatment of 
        infants with NAS and the reimbursement methodologies and costs 
        associated with such treatment in such settings.
            (4) The prevalence of utilization of various care settings 
        under State Medicaid programs for treatment of infants with NAS 
        and any Federal barriers to treating such infants under such 
        programs, particularly in non-hospital-based settings.
    (c) Recommendations.--Such report also shall include such 
recommendations as the Comptroller General determines appropriate for 
improvements that will ensure access to treatment for infants with NAS 
under State Medicaid programs.
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