Georgia Health Officials Eliminate Medicaid Payment for Elective Deliveries before 39 Weeks

Effective July 1, 2013, Medicaid in the state of Georgia will no longer reimburse providers who perform elective early deliveries before 39 weeks’ gestation, states an article published March 24, 2013, in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While it has been considered safe in past decades to perform elective deliveries once the baby is at least 37 weeks along, Georgia health officials say that infants born before 39 weeks have a greater risk of developmental delay and often require specialized care.