Wednesday STOPP Report: March 1, 2006

Planned Parenthood taxpayer funding

Planned Parenthood claims that it provides reproductive "health care" to poor women. As such, Planned Parenthood is recognized by the United States government as a "health care" organization

As a "health care" provider, Planned Parenthood is eligible to receive government funds under programs in which the government pays for "family planning" or other reproductive health care services.

Planned Parenthood first began receiving government money under the "Great Society" program of President Lyndon Johnson. Today, the two government programs that provide the most annual money to Planned Parenthood are Medicaid and Title X.

MEDICAID

Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood comes under what are normally called "Family Planning Waiver Programs." A full history and current status of these waiver programs can be found on the web site of Planned Parenthood's Guttmacher Institute.

We present here a short summary of the Guttmacher Institute article:

In the early years of the joint federal-state Medicaid program, eligibility was limited largely to low-income, single mothers and their children who were receiving welfare. In the 1980s, however, Congress broke the welfare-Medicaid link for pregnancy-related services by first allowing and later requiring states to extend eligibility for Medicaid-covered prenatal, delivery and postpartum care to women with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level

In the 1990s, several states began pushing for Medicaid expansion to cover family planning services. In addition they raised the eligibility to 185% of the federal poverty level. Unlike the increases for pregnancy-related care, which are specifically provided for in the federal statute, these expansions require approval-generally referred to as a "waiver"-from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that administers Medicaid.

As of December, 2003, the Guttmacher Institute reported that 18 states have gained approval for these waivers and another four states were waiting for approval. The states have a real incentive to push for these programs because the federal government pays 90% of the cost of providing family planning services and supplies under Medicaid, compared with 50-77% of the cost of other medical services, including pregnancy-related care.

There are currently efforts in congress to make the providing of these family planning services a normal part of the Medicaid program so that they will not need to be obtained through waivers.

According to a study done by the United States government's General Accounting Office, in 2001, Planned Parenthood received $60,878,913 in Medicaid funds.

ACTION ITEM: All opponents of Planned Parenthood are asked to contact members of Congress (see list of committees below) and ask two things: (1) that any effort to normalize the providing of family planning funds under Medicaid be opposed; and (2) that the government put an end to these family planning waiver programs.

TITLE X

The flood gates of government money to Planned Parenthood began to open when the Title X program of the Health and Human Services Act was passed into law in 1970. It was introduced in congress by George H. W. Bush.

A thorough description of the Title X program can be found on the web site of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Here is a short summary of that description:

The Title X program is the only federal program devoted solely to the provision of family planning and reproductive health care. The program is designed to provide access to contraceptive supplies and information to all who want and need them with priority given to low-income persons.

Title X service funds are allocated to the ten DHHS regional offices. The regional offices manage the competitive review process, make grant awards and monitor program performance. Services are delivered through a network of community-based clinics that include state and local health departments, hospitals, university health centers, Planned Parenthood affiliates, independent clinics, and public and non-profit agencies.

According to a study done by the United States government's General Accounting Office, in 2001, Planned Parenthood received $59,027,083 in Title X funds.

ACTION ITEM: All opponents of Planned Parenthood should immediately contact members of congress (see list of committees below) to put an end to the Title X program. The minimum that should be accepted is that Title X stop funding giving underage girls access to "family planning."

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE

A full list of what congressional committees are responsible for the appropriation and authorizing these funds that support Planned Parenthood can be found in the GAO report on page 10.

In general, the Senate Committee on Finance; the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the House Committee on Energy and Commerce through its Subcommittee on Health; the House Committee on Science; and the House Committee on Ways and Means have jurisdiction over legislation authorizing the program funds that the organizations reported spending for domestic health-related activities. Also, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, through its Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; and Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies, and the House Committee on Appropriations, through its Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; and Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies, have jurisdiction over legislation appropriating funds for the programs.

Stop Planned Parenthood Tax Funding campaign

Another action item to stop this taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood is to go to www.StopPlannedParenthoodTaxFunding.com and sign the petition. We also ask that you circulate this news item to everyone on your e-mail list and encourage them to sign. The more signatures we can get, the easier it will be to stop Planned Parenthood from getting any taxpayer dollars.

Planned Parenthood loses Title X money in one Indiana county

The Indiana Family Health Council announced that in Allen County, it will sign a five-year contract for Title X family planning services with a clinic not associated with Planned Parenthood. Although Planned Parenthood has been receiving the Title X money for several years, it will receive none of the $224,000 a year for the next five years.

Gayla Winston, president of Indiana Family Health Council (the agency that allocates the Title X money to local clinics throughout the state) told the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette that "There have been problems (with Planned Parenthood's application) in previous years, but this was a competitive situation." She did indicate that Planned Parenthood clinics in some other locations in the state would continue receiving Title X money.

The newspaper reported that Liz Carroll, vice president of patient services for Planned Parenthood of Indiana, said that the Allen County location is looking to a private donations fund - in large part - to make up for the Title X funding loss. Although she didn't know how much this will recoup, she said it won't completely shore up the gap.

Congratulations to all in Indiana who are working to educate the community on the truth about Planned Parenthood. Let's pray that God will cause more Planned Parenthood clinics in the state to lose funding.

National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day

For the fourth year in a row, American Life League is sponsoring National Pro-Life T-shirt Day. This year's shirt encourages everyone to "Help Cure Abortion."

Further information on this event can be found online.

We encourage all STOPPers to obtain T-shirts and wear them outside your local Planned Parenthood facility on Tuesday, April 25.