US maternity wards face wave of closures as Medicaid cuts kick in

Federal Medicaid cuts are causing a wave of closures for maternity wards across the United States, experts warn. Since July 2025, 52 maternity wards have already closed, with eight more expected to follow. The HR1 bill, set to fully take effect next year, will impose new work requirements for adults covered by Medicaid and increase the frequency of eligibility checks.

States will receive less federal funding for Medicaid, putting additional financial strain on hospitals and hospitals with maternity wards, which are notoriously expensive to operate. Experts are concerned that these changes will exacerbate an already serious crisis in maternity care, particularly in rural communities, where 31 at-risk hospitals with labor and delivery services could face closure.

This would leave 96 counties without a labor and delivery unit. Approximately 40% of births in the US are paid for by Medicaid, and the US has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among high-income nations, at 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. While the new work requirements for Medicaid are supposed to exempt pregnant women, there are concerns that many women may not be enrolled in the Medicaid pregnancy pathway, leading to gaps in coverage.

The CDC's pregnancy risk assessment monitoring system, a crucial source of data on pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, postpartum experiences, and maternal and infant health, was also placed on administrative leave by the Trump administration, disrupting the collection and management of vital information.