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

Key Points:

• Since the announcement of the HR1 bill in July 2025, 52 maternity wards in the US have closed, with eight more planning closures, largely due to cuts in federal Medicaid funding and new work requirements for Medicaid recipients.
• The HR1 bill reduces federal Medicaid funding and imposes stricter eligibility checks, causing financial strain on hospitals, particularly affecting rural communities where 31 at-risk hospitals could close, leaving 96 counties without labor and delivery units.
• Approximately 40% of US births are covered by Medicaid, and experts warn that these funding cuts will exacerbate the country's already high maternal mortality rate of 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.
• Medicaid work requirements, although officially exempting pregnant women, may lead to coverage loss for many due to enrollment issues, increasing risks for pregnant women relying on Medicaid for care.
• The Trump administration's 2025 suspension of the CDC’s pregnancy risk assessment monitoring system has disrupted critical data collection on maternal and infant health, hindering efforts to track and address disparities in maternal outcomes amid these policy changes.