FUTURE FINANCIAL NEONATAL SHOCK

Ln a changing economic climate, the neonatologist must be aware of all of the forces that can affect the practice of neonatology. Ln additio n to clinical issues, billing and reimbursement must take into account physician work and common procedural terminology (CPT) codes, which a ccurately describe the medical services and procedures delivered. An u nderstanding of this coding and resource-based work unit system is nec essary to prevent financial loss. The influence of managed care, capit ation, fixed per-case reimbursement, practice guidelines and care maps have already seriously affected clinical practice patterns. The neona tologist must be proactive in negotiating contracts using historic inf ormation and outcome data to define and defend the quality of care pro vided.