Financing newborn screening systems: US experience

Newborn screening (NBS) in the United States (US) has existed since the early 1960s and is required in all 51 state jurisdictions. It is generally recognised that NBS provides a significant public health benefit by preventing or markedly decreasing the adverse medical consequences of conditions included in the screening panel. There is currently no US national NBS policy, so instead there are 51 independent state programmes that vary widely in their policies, infrastructures, procedures and services. Not surprisingly, US NBS programme costs and methods of financing also vary. Surveys have increasingly found a reliance on fees to pay for screening tests, short-term follow-up and other parts of state NBS systems. This article reviews some of the current US NBS financing issues and methodologies.