US maternity wards face wave of closures as Medicaid cuts kick in
Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ spending cuts will be fully felt next year, but hospitals are already feeling the squeeze
TL;DR
- 52 maternity wards have closed since July 2025, with an additional eight announced closures, due to federal Medicaid funding cuts.
- The HR1 bill will implement work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks for Medicaid recipients, reducing federal funding for states.
- Hospitals citing federal Medicaid policy changes have already closed maternity wards, with more closures expected.
- Experts warn of a worsening maternity care crisis, particularly in rural communities, potentially leaving 96 counties without labor and delivery services.
- Approximately 40% of US births are paid for by Medicaid, which faces financial strain that can lead to maternity ward closures due to high operating costs.
- The CDC's pregnancy risk assessment monitoring system team was placed on administrative leave, disrupting data collection on maternal and infant health.
- The loss of this data makes it difficult to study recent trends in maternal and infant health and monitor the effects of policy changes.