To the editor: As the executive producer of a short documentary on obstetrics deserts, I am compelled to respond to Dr. Anna Reinert’s insightful article on the closure of hospital labor and delivery units. This crisis is alarming and dangerous.
Labor and delivery units cannot function solely on delivery days. They require constant “stand-by” capacity, including surgeons, operating room teams and anesthesiologists for emergency C-sections. These essential costs are not being adequately covered by Medi-Cal or private insurers.
To address this, federal and state officials, along with large purchasers of private insurance, must mandate that all insurers cover these critical stand-by costs. Executive action from the Biden administration could provide an immediate solution and garner support from rural and under-served communities across America.
Susan Reynolds, M.D., Pacific Palisades
