To the editor: As executive producer of a short documentary about obstetric deserts, I feel compelled to respond to Dr. Anna Reinert's insightful article on the closure of labor and delivery units in hospitals. This crisis is alarming and dangerous.
Labor and delivery units cannot operate solely on delivery days. They require constant “standby” capacity, including surgeons, operating room teams, and anesthesiologists for emergency cesarean sections. These essential costs are not being adequately covered by Medi-Cal or private insurers.
To address this problem, federal and state officials, along with large private insurance purchasers, should require all insurers to cover these critical reserve costs. Executive action by the Biden administration could provide an immediate solution and garner support from rural and underserved communities across the United States.
Dr. Susan Reynolds, Pacific Palisades
