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News
Nearly half of U.S. hospitals now lack maternity services, and the situation is only getting worse. A new University of Minnesota report found that over 700 hospitals shuttered their obstetric wards between 2010 and 2024, with rural areas hit hardest. Looming Medicaid cuts threaten to accelerate closures, leaving millions of pregnant people with fewer places to give birth.
Nearly half of all U.S. hospitals no longer offer maternity services, and the trend is accelerating. A new report from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center found that over 700 hospitals closed their obstetric wards between 2010 and 2024. Rural communities are bearing the brunt — more than 57% of rural hospitals lacked a birthing ward in 2024, and the number of rural states with half their obstetric wards shuttered jumped from 12 to 31 over the study period.
The financial math is stark: maternity wards are expensive to run and heavily dependent on Medicaid reimbursements, which many providers say don't cover actual costs. With the GOP's "One Big Beautiful Bill" set to trigger new Medicaid work requirements in January — potentially stripping millions of coverage — hospitals may face even greater uncompensated care costs, pushing more to cut obstetrics altogether.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: The U.S. already has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations. Fewer maternity wards mean longer travel times, delayed care, and higher risk — especially for rural and low-income patients. If Medicaid cuts shrink hospital revenues further, the closures could snowball into a deepening maternal care crisis.
