Report: 148 Rural Hospitals End or Plan to End Maternity Care Since 2020
Citing an October 2026 analysis from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, Becker's Hospital Review reports that 144 rural hospitals have stopped labor and delivery services since the end of 2020, with four more planned closures by early 2027 in Maine, Minnesota, Iowa and New York, a 14% reduction overall. The report finds 90 of the 928 rural hospitals still delivering babies posted negative total margins in each of the last two years, and identifies Texas, Missouri and Kansas as having the most units at risk. Median drive time to the nearest hospital with labor and delivery is 37 minutes, rising above 90 minutes in Alaska. CHQPR attributes closures to inadequate Medicaid and private insurance payment for round-the-clock readiness costs and clinician staffing shortages, and recommends insurers adopt standby capacity payments plus per-delivery fees rather than relying on telehealth or cross-trained ED staff.