U.S. Birth Weights Dropping Due to Earlier Delivery

Medicaid Enrollment Touches 39% of the Residents of The District of Columbia; DC’s 70/30 FMAP is Vital for the Maintenance of Health & Human Services

A reduction in the District’s FMAP would not lead to long-term government savings and would have a ripple effect throughout the entire health system in the DMV, crippling access to care for not only Medicaid beneficiaries but also all those who live, work, and visit the District of Columbia, including members of Congress and their staffs.

Why does DC receive an Enhanced FMAP Rate?

The DC FMAP rate of 70% established by the Revitalization Act resulted from bipartisan analysis, discussion, and negotiation by Congressional leadership aiming to balance fairness with the District’s restricted ability to generate revenue. Congress recognized that the District of Columbia faces unique financial challenges due to its non-state status and the significant amount of federally-owned land within its boundaries. The District is unable to tax non-residents’ earnings, so these workers pay no taxes to support the infrastructure and services, such as roads, public safety and emergency services that they benefit from in the District. The District is also unable to tax up to 40% of the real property within its borders due to statutory restrictions.

Why are we concerned about DC's FMAP now?

Members of Congress have proposed reducing the DC FMAP to the statutory minimum for all other states, which is currently 50% (but could be reduced even more). Such a change would impact every physician and every practice, regardless of type, location, and payers contracted. Even practices who take no insurance will not be able to send patients for specialist care, hospital admissions, or other types of care.

What can MSDC members do?

If you know a member of Congress or staffer, reach out to them and share how DC cuts will hurt your patients.
Share your relationships and outreach with hay@msdc.org so we can help coordinate advocacy efforts.
Email hay@msdc.org if you would like to be paired with a physician member of Congress office and trained by MSDC staff on how to reach out.

Resources

DC FMAP cut fact sheet
California Medical Association fact sheet on Medicaid cuts
MSDC and healthcare association letter to Congress arguing against DC FMAP changes.
MSDC original story on Medicaid changes.

News, Statements, and Testimony on Health Equity Issues

U.S. Birth Weights Dropping Due to Earlier Delivery

Feb 11, 2020, 10:29 AM by MSDC Staff

Across the U.S. the average birth rate is dropping due to earlier deliveries, but not significantly enough to indicate more unhealthy pregnancies.

New analysis of CDC data shows that the average birth weight of U.S. babies has actually dropped in the last few decades, but not enough to cause a public health concern.

Between 1990 and 2013, the average weight of a newborn baby dropped 2.4 ounces - from 7.31 pounds to 7.16 pounds. This is based on analysis done by researchers from the University of Colorado from CDC data (see WashPost story here).

During the same time period, the percentage that a birth would occur at 40 weeks dropped (29% -> 18%) while the percentage chance that a birth would occur in weeks 37-39 increased (38% -> 49%). Researchers point to the increase in Caesarean sections and induce labor during this period for the shift in birth weight and earlier deliveries. However, the 7.16 pound average birth weight is well above the medically accepted boundary of 5 pounds, 8 ounces for low birth rate.

While c-section births are safe medical procedures, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) recognize that the rise in c-section rates may have external factors. Their 2014 Obstetric Care Consensus (reaffirmed in 2019) points to different strategies to reduce unnecessary c-sections.