Less than half of rural hospitals still offer labor and delivery services. Once those rural hospitals were acquired by larger systems, they were 30% less likely to still offer labor and delivery services five years later. Other states, meanwhile, have paved the way for health mergers in a bid to save failing rural hospitals. Massive cuts to Medicaid also in the law could have devastating impacts on rural hospitals struggling to stay afloat, however. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week announced that states have until Nov. 5 to apply for rural health funding.