A wave of hospital closures is shaking the United States following the implementation of cuts to federal Medicaid funding. The crisis is hitting maternity units particularly hard, leaving thousands of women without access to critical care in a country that already records one of the highest maternal mortality rates among developed nations.

Tensions escalated on June 26 in Washington DC, where hundreds of people took to the streets to protest against cuts to Medicaid, the federal health program for low-income individuals.

The impact is already tangible. Hospitals in various regions of the country have begun to close their essential services. Among the most critical cases are:

  • Centra Southside Community Hospital (Virginia): Closure of its maternity unit.
  • St Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital (rural Georgia): Closure of its maternity services.

Experts warn that this is only the beginning of an alarming trend. According to Vaishu Jawahar, director of policy and programs at Protect Our Care, hospitals are operating in the red, forcing them to make drastic decisions that almost always result in the elimination of maternity wings.

Critical Data: Approximately 40% of births in the United States are funded through Medicaid.

The situation is aggravated by the lack of official data. In early 2025, the Donald Trump administration placed the CDC's pregnancy risk monitoring system team on administrative leave, which according to academics and former officials, hinders any serious study on maternal-infant health trends.

Reference Institution Warning
Benjamin Sommers Harvard TH Chan School Direct impact on pregnant women and specialists.
Erin Jones March of Dimes Worsening of the maternal care crisis.
Rita Hamad Harvard TH Chan School Increase in geographic and social disparities.

Source: IMAGO