Four Chicago-Area Hospitals Suspend Obstetrics Amid Medicaid Pressures
Becker's Hospital Review reports that four Chicago-area hospitals, Roseland Community Hospital, Saint Joseph Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center and Resurrection Medical Center, suspended labor and delivery services over the past month. Hospital leaders cited low Medicaid reimbursement, rising costs to staff OB units and declining birth volumes as common drivers. Prime Healthcare is consolidating obstetrics from three suspended sites into two designated centers of excellence and committed $1 million in grants to community maternal health nonprofits. Since 2020, 16 Illinois hospitals have discontinued obstetric services, with the state hospital association noting more than half of Illinois births are covered by Medicaid, making reimbursement levels central to the closures.