More birthing wards close in a state with broad ‘maternity deserts’ – Scripps
“According to the March of Dimes, more than a third of Alabama’s counties are considered maternity deserts — having no access to a hospital with obstetrics care, birth centers, OB-GYNs or certified nurse midwives. And on average, a woman has to travel 17.4 miles to get to a hospital with maternal care options…
“Maintaining obstetrics care is a financial challenge to some hospitals, since the departments aren’t always profitable, several Alabama physicians told NBC News.
“About 9% of the state’s residents have no health insurance, according to a Census Bureau report, and almost half of the births in Alabama are covered by Medicaid — for which reimbursements to hospitals can be substantially lower than from private insurance plans.”