Policy research on Medicaid coverage of rapid genomic testing for sick infants
Official title: PROMPT: Policy Research on Medicaid Program Coverage of Rapid Genomic Testing
Funded at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC. · NIH-11290536 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to understand how Medicaid decides to cover rapid genomic testing for critically ill infants and how those decisions affect care and costs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Canton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $763,155 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HD120960-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11290536 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are infants in intensive care with suspected genetic conditions where rapid genome sequencing could influence care decisions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without suspected genetic conditions or in settings where rapid genomic testing is not appropriate may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at how Medicaid coverage policies for rapid genome sequencing in newborns in intensive care are designed and implemented, and how these policies influence clinical practice, patient outcomes, and costs. Researchers will analyze policy landscapes, decision processes, and real-world effects in hospitals and among families. The study will use health-system data and economic analyses to show what works and where improvements are needed to get timely diagnoses for fragile infants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could inform better coverage decisions that speed diagnoses, shorten hospital stays, and reduce costs for critically ill infants and their families.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown rapid genome sequencing can improve diagnosis speed and reduce hospital costs in select settings, but population-level policy impacts remain less understood.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC.
Canton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smith, Hadley Stevens — Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC.
- Study coordinator: Smith, Hadley Stevens
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.