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accessHealthNews.net
March 2025
Volume 11 | Issue No. 94
The U.S. maternal health care system is
at a crossroads. A 2024 March of Dimes
Report Card assigned the country a D+
rating for maternal and infant health, for
the third consecutive year, underscoring
persistent failures despite the resources
and technology available. While the Biden
administration took steps toward reform —
including extending postpartum Medicaid
coverage from 60 days to 12 months,
expanding community-based care, and
improving rural maternal health services —
recent policy shifts under President Donald
Trump are putting those advancements
at serious risk. If left unchallenged, these
changes could dismantle crucial support
for maternal health care and further widen
the already devastating gaps in care.
Sarah Alley, a certified professional
midwife, understands firsthand how gaps in
maternal care affect families, particularly
in rural areas. "There are just so many
times where I'm at a birth, at least an
hour, maybe an hour and a half from the
closest hospital, that will take a woman in
labor," she said. Long distances to medical
facilities have long been a challenge in
maternity care deserts, and the national
response has been inadequate. More than
5.6 million women now live in areas with
limited or no obstetric services. Since 2021,
more than 50 hospitals in Texas alone have
either closed or drastically reduced their
labor and delivery services. The expansion
of these maternity care deserts directly
correlates with worsening maternal and
infant mortality rates.
But just as some states had begun
implementing Biden-era Medicaid
expansions to improve access to care, the
Trump administration has placed those
efforts in jeopardy.
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"Healthy food is expensive food. And if people can't afford
healthy food, they can't afford the things that make a pregnancy
healthier."
- Sarah Alley, a certified professional midwife
