Summary
Over one-third of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts, lacking hospitals, birth centers, or obstetric clinicians, a situation that has remained largely unchanged since 2016 and is expected to worsen due to policy changes like H.R. 1, which will cut Medicaid payments. These deserts disproportionately affect rural areas and lead to poorer outcomes for mothers and babies, with staffing shortages and inadequate reimbursement contributing to the problem.