Committee hears emotional pleas and policy details for funding Maddie's Place neonatal program

Senators heard passionate testimony on Jan. 23 about Senate Bill 6,094, which would direct the Health Care Authority to pursue Medicaid coverage and establish grant and bundled‑payment mechanisms for facility‑based pediatric transitional care services for drug‑exposed infants.

Sean Cross, CEO of Maddie's Place, told the committee the pilot provided medical and non‑medical care for infants and treatment for their parents and that the facility struggles with year‑to‑year funding. Cross said the program served more than 170 infants and parents during the pilot and that family‑centered care reduced NICU‑level utilization and supported parental recovery. "The parent in recovery is the best medicine for their infant," he said, urging a bundled payment for sustainability.

Spokane County Commissioner Amber Waldref and numerous parents and former residents gave first‑person accounts of recovery and family preservation attributed to Maddie's Place. Several speakers said state funding would prevent program closure and produce net savings compared with prolonged hospital stays and foster care placements.

Dr. Judy Zirzzen, HCA chief medical officer, testified "other" rather than outright support: she noted HCA will pursue a state plan amendment but cautioned that CMS generally requires statewide availability of services for State Plan approval and suggested a federal waiver may be an alternative. HCA also noted pilot data on length of stay and emphasized the facility does not replace hospital NICU care when medically necessary.

Lawmakers closed testimony after hearing hundreds of sign‑ins for and against the bill and did not vote. Stakeholders said next steps include technical work with HCA on federal review pathways, cost modeling, and whether the proposal should seek a waiver or broader statewide implementation to secure CMS approval.