New report indicates maternity care "desert" areas
Date postedAugust 16, 2023
A new report by the March of Dimes reveals that 36% of US counties are "maternity care deserts," lacking in obstetric providers, hospitals, or birth centers. Since the first report five years ago, 369 more counties have had reduced access to maternity care due to facility closures, and 70 additional counties have been classified as maternity care deserts with no obstetric provides or units. Medicaid recipients and women of color are disproportionately affected by lack of access to care.