Most of those county hospitals are publicly funded and do indigent care.
Maybe the rate of home births is higher in rural areas than urban ones, but having kids at home isn’t the norm. People just go into debt instead.
Source: I live in the rural South in an area serviced by a county hospital, know people in the county hospital maternity ward and administration, and my SO is from another rural area and knew people from their county hospital.
Most of those county hospitals are publicly funded and do indigent care.
Maybe the rate of home births is higher in rural areas than urban ones, but having kids at home isn’t the norm. People just go into debt instead.
Source: I live in the rural South in an area serviced by a county hospital, know people in the county hospital maternity ward and administration, and my SO is from another rural area and knew people from their county hospital.
I guess both options aren’t mutually exclusive.