Just as funding is cut, a new requirement for newborn testing

(Harrisburg) — A program to test newborn babies for disease took a 15 percent funding cut this year.But, the state Health Department says it will need more money soon, since a new law will require more testing.

The line item in the department’s budget helps pay for disease screenings for Medicaid eligible babies born in Pennsylvania.

It’s falling from $761,000 last fiscal year to $651,000 this year.

Melia Belonus, director of the agency’s bureau of family health, says its data analysis showed the tests weren’t that expensive.

“And what we cleaned up was our math on how much state funds we needed to cover the Medicaid babies.”

But a bill signed by Governor Corbett last month will require a new battery of screenings for all babies starting in January, estimated to cost about $700,000 a year.

“So there will be a pretty significant fiscal impact to us and the secretary of the department is working currently with the Governor’s office on understanding how we will coordinate and provide for that testing,” says Belonus.

The state money is used to leverage federal Medicaid funds to cover the full cost of the tests.

In the past, any extra money was returned to the general fund.