36% of U.S. counties are designated as 'maternity care deserts'

Progressive Democrat Lisa McCormick is sounding an alarm in response to a recent study from the March of Dimes that showed 36 percent of U.S. counties are designated as 'maternity care deserts' where there’s limited or no access to hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care, or obstetricians.

McCormick said that data from the nonpartisan health advocacy group reveals that the U.S. — which already has the worst maternal mortality rate among developed nations — saw a 4 percent decline in hospitals with labor and delivery services between 2019 and 2020.

"Maternity care deserts are counties where there’s limited or no access to hospitals or birthing centers that offer obstetric care," said McCormick. "Over 5.6 million women and nearly 350,000 of the nearly four million births in the United States each year are in areas without access to maternal care."

"The United States continues to hold the worst record among industrialized nations, with a maternal mortality rate several times greater than other high-income countries," said McCormick. "The maternal mortality rate here is nearly three times that of France, the country with the next highest rate."

A vocal champion of universal health care, McCormick said that New Jersey fares better than the rest of the nation in some measures of access, but almost 15 percent of the expecting mothers here lack adequate prenatal care, which is important for reducing the risk of pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes.

"We could close the gap in New Jersey, saving both lives and money, by adopting a universal health insurance plan such as expanded and improved Medicare for All," said McCormick.

McCormick said the latest study, Where You Live Matters: Maternity Care Deserts and the Crisis of Access and Equity, builds on the findings in the 2022 report, Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S.

The study is based on a set of 52 comprehensive reports examining maternity care deserts and other factors that impact access to treatment, health outcomes, and barriers for families.

"Despite spending the greatest percentage of our gross domestic product on health care in comparison with other countries, the United States has increasing rates of maternal mortality, 12 percent of births occur in maternity care deserts, and five percent of American counties have less maternity access than they did two years ago," said McCormick.

McCormick said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that preventable maternal deaths are 62 percent higher in states with abortion bans, but the lack of adequate health insurance coverage, insufficient paid postpartum family leave, and shrinking access to medical care.

Since 2018, March of Dimes has published data on maternity care deserts across the U.S., highlighting areas with inequitable access to maternity care providers and birthing facilities.

These reports represent some of the most comprehensive analyses of its kind looking at maternity care access, examining data beyond maternity care deserts, and other key issues impacting access to care and maternal health outcomes. The data consistently shows that access to maternity care continues to decline, and more resources are needed to make maternal health a priority.