Medicaid Funding Cuts Trigger Surge of U.S. Maternity Ward Closures

A recent Protect Our Care study reports that 52 maternity wards across the United States have permanently closed since the HR1 bill was introduced, with eight additional facilities announcing future closures. The legislation, set to be fully implemented in the new year, imposes stricter work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks for Medicaid recipients while cutting federal funding to states. Hospitals like Centra Southside Community in Virginia and St Mary’s Sacred Heart in rural north-east Georgia have already cited the impending Medicaid changes as the reason for shutting their labor and delivery units.

Advocates, including Erin Jones of the March of Dimes, say the cuts will exacerbate an existing maternity-care crisis, particularly in rural communities where 31 hospitals are deemed at risk, threatening services in 96 counties. About 40 % of U.S. births rely on Medicaid, and the nation already records one of the highest maternal mortality rates among high-income countries. Experts such as Benjamin Sommers and Vaishu Jawahar warn that the new work requirements may unintentionally strip coverage from pregnant women, further straining hospitals already operating at a loss.