Medicaid isn’t just a safety net—it’s the backbone of maternity care access for ALL women. It finances 42% of US births, with even higher rates in rural areas. Yet more than 8 million women already live in maternity care deserts, and Medicaid cuts will make this crisis worse.
Rural hospitals are closing obstetric units. Maternal deaths are rising. More moms and babies are at risk. We can’t afford to let Medicaid funding shrink any further. Write to your members of Congress to tell them about the impact you’ve seen of Medicaid on perinatal healthcare.
Tell your representative and senators not to cut funding to Medicaid. Your personal experience providing nursing care to Medicaid recipients would make a powerful message. Write about how you have seen Medicaid make access to the needed perinatal healthcare possible.
- Medicaid is not just a safety-net program for low-income women—it plays a critical role in sustaining maternity care access for all women, including those with private insurance. It finances 42% of all U.S. births[1], with even higher rates in rural areas[2].
- From 2012 to 2022, a quarter of all rural hospitals stopped providing obstetric services, affecting 267 communities[3]—primarily due to financial losses.
- In 2020, over 8 million women of childbearing age lived in counties without an obstetric hospital. The majority of maternity care deserts are in rural areas, where Medicaid funding is particularly essential[4]. Further cuts to Medicaid will accelerate this dangerous trend.
[1] National Center for Health Statistics. Key Birth Statistics (2018 data, released 2019)
[2] Osorio, Aubrianna et al. “Medicaid’s Coverage Role in Small Towns and Rural Areas.” Center for Children & Families (CCF) of the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2023/08/17/medicaids-coverage-role-in-small-towns-and-rural-areas/#:~:text=Medicaid's%20Importance%20for%20Rural%20Areas,metro%20counties%20has%20held%20steady.
[3] Chartis, “Rural America’s OB Deserts Widen in Fallout From Pandemic,” Dec. 2013. https://www.chartis.com/sites/default/files/documents/rural_americas_ob_deserts_widen_in_fallout_from_pandemic_12-19-23.pdf
[4] March of Dimes, “Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across The U.S. 2022 Report,” Oct. 2022. https://www.marchofdimes.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/2022_Maternity_Care_Report.pdf