Hospital Mergers, Hospital Choice, and Care Quality for Pregnant Enrollees in Medicaid.

Summary: When hospitals join together (merge), it changes where moms on Medicaid go to have their babies. A big study looked at over half a million births. It found that after hospitals merged, moms had to travel a little further to give birth. They were also more likely to give birth at "safety-net" hospitals (which help people with less money) and less likely to go to hospitals with special baby care units (NICUs). Sadly, there was also a tiny increase in birth injuries. This shows that when hospitals merge, it can make it harder for lower-income moms to get the best care.