The policy will designate the appropriate medical professional to perform these studies and develop the criteria for when the studies could be conducted. DIR will report back to the board when the policy is finalized. This continues a six-year trend of growth below 6 percent, however HCFA projects faster growth in health care spending over the next decade. The State Perinatal Program, established under the Alabama Perinatal Health Act in an effort to address the state's high infant mortality rate, recently released its annual report for FY 2000 and its plan for FY 2001. In 1999, Alabama's infant mortality rate was 9.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, down from 10.2 in 1998.
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