Last week, Wyoming lawmakers voted down an amendment to the state’s supplemental budget that aimed to improve access to maternal health care services for pregnant residents, Casper Star-Tribune reports.
The proposal sought to allocate $18 million to the Wyoming Department of Health’s budget, with the funds designated for public grants to hospitals—including county memorial hospitals, rural health care districts, and special hospital districts—to support maternity and delivery care.
Sheridan Memorial Hospital, which has provided delivery and maternity services for around 40 years, typically operates its maternity services at a break-even point, according to CEO Mike McCafferty. Despite fluctuations in annual revenue, McCafferty emphasized the importance of supporting women’s health in the region.
“It’s one of those service lines that we want to make sure we have. We want to support women’s health in our region,” he said.
McCafferty also noted that women play a key role in the decision-making process regarding family health, making these services a vital part of overall health care.
The proposed amendment comes at a time when Wyoming faces challenges related to maternal health. A 2024 report by March of Dimes highlighted that Wyoming has the third-longest average travel time to a birthing hospital in the United States, at 23.3 minutes—only Alaska and West Virginia report longer travel times.
Despite these concerns, the amendment was rejected by both the House and Senate. On Wednesday, the House voted 39-22 against the proposal, and the Senate followed with a 20-11 vote on Friday.
Sen. Evie Brennan, R-Cheyenne, voiced support for the amendment, stressing the importance of reducing travel distances for expectant mothers.
“Let’s put our money where our mouth is and let’s say these are our most valuable resources, and we’re going to support these women and these children,” Brennan said during the debate.
Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, who sponsored the amendment in the Senate, highlighted the importance of maintaining existing maternity care facilities rather than losing them.
“Starting them up again is ever so much more expensive than maintaining the ones that we have right now,” Rothfuss noted.
He referenced the increasing concerns about potential maternity ward closures in the state.
Opponents of the amendment, however, argued that the issue of maternal health care should be discussed further by the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee as an interim topic. They also criticized the lack of a clear plan for how the funding would be allocated.
“To just throw money somewhere is not the right approach,” said Sen. Stacy Jones, R-Rock Springs.
She emphasized the need for a more strategic approach to ensure funds are directed to the communities that can sustain maternity wards.
Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, acknowledged the need for a more detailed plan but expressed concern that delaying action could exacerbate the issue.
“I suggest to you that the interim committee will have a lot better job if it’s trying to figure out how to keep what we’ve got as opposed to bringing back what we’ve lost,” Scott stated.
