Go to Content Go to Navigation Go to Navigation Go to Site Search Homepage

Governors Cite Positive Impact of Family Planning on Women’s Health

Washington, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) today applauded 16 governors for submitting a letter to congressional leaders urging them to support the inclusion of the Medicaid Family Planning State Option in health care reform. This critical provision provides basic preventive health care, including breast and cervical cancer screenings and contraception, to millions of women and is currently in President Obama’s fiscal year 2010 budget.

“We applaud Governor Ted Strickland for championing this letter and the governors who joined him in expressing support for the Medicaid Family Planning State Option,” said Cecile Richards, PPFA president. “We know firsthand the lifesaving care these programs provide to women and families across the country. And governors recognize that ensuring the expansion of Medicaid family planning is vital to any comprehensive health care reform effort.”

“Especially during these difficult economic times, far too many families are forced to sacrifice health care to help make ends meet,” said Marcia D. Greenberger, co-president of NWLC. “As the governors recognize, foregoing basic health care can have serious health and economic consequences for women and their families. This provision will make essential family planning and basic health care services more accessible and affordable to millions of women.”

Governor Strickland (D-OH) championed the sign-on letter and was joined by Governors Jon Corzine (D-NJ), Chet Culver (D-IA), John deJongh (D-Virgin Islands), Jim Doyle (D-WI), Jennifer Granholm (D-MI), Christine Gregoire (D-WA), Timothy Kaine (D-VA), Theodore Kulongoski (D-OR), Martin O’Malley (D-MD), Jack Markell (D-DE), David Paterson (D-NY), Beverly Perdue (D-NC), Pat Quinn (D-IL), Bill Richardson (D-NM) and Bill Ritter, Jr. (D-CO).

Currently, 27 states have sought and received federal waivers to expand eligibility for family planning services. States have repeatedly demonstrated that expanding health care coverage for women in this way also results in significant cost savings. Expanding the Medicaid Family Planning State Option would allow states to expand Medicaid coverage for family planning services, without a waiver, to those who don’t otherwise qualify for full Medicaid benefits. These cost savings could help states avoid additional cuts to critical health programs and allow them to use the savings for other pressing needs.

The Medicaid Family Planning State Option will also save federal funds. The Congressional Budget Office determined that the Medicaid Family Planning State Option saves the federal government $200 million over five years and $700 million over 10 years.

Voters strongly support efforts to make contraception more accessible and affordable as part of a comprehensive approach to reproductive health issues. According to public opinion research conducted in 2007 by Hart Research on behalf of the NWLC and PPFA, an overwhelming majority (73 percent) strongly favor making it easier for women at all income levels to obtain contraceptives.

“The Medicaid Family Planning State Option is a proven approach to expanding coverage for basic women’s health care, while at the same time generating significant cost savings for states and the federal government,” said Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. “In states like Ohio, this new option will improve women’s access to quality, affordable preventive health care, such as breast and cervical cancer screenings.”

PPFA and the NWLC join these state governors in urging Congress to take swift action to pass this commonsense measure as part of health care reform legislation.

Planned Parenthood is working to ensure that women’s health is a priority in health care reform and that any reform effort includes two important pieces: access to comprehensive reproductive health care and access to essential community providers within the network. This will ensure that basic preventive care, such as contraception, Pap tests, and other cancer screenings, are covered and that women are able to continue to access trusted health care providers in the communities where they live.

NWLC’s project, Reform Matters: Making Real Progress for Women and Health Care started in early 2008, empowers women to be vocal advocates in the fight for progressive health care reform. As an active member of several leading progressive health care coalitions, including Health Care for America Now! (HCAN) and the Herndon Alliance, NWLC brings a unique perspective to the table by advocating for the specific needs of women.

###

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 700 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.

Source

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Contact

Planned Parenthood Federation of America media office: 212-261-4433

Published

July 22, 2009

We and our third partners use cookies and other tools to collect, store, monitor, and analyze information about your interaction with our site to improve performance, analyze your use of our sites and assist in our marketing efforts. You may opt out of the use of these cookies and other tools at any time by visiting Cookie Settings. By clicking “Allow All Cookies” you consent to our collection and use of such data, and our Terms of Use. For more information, see our Privacy Notice.

Cookie Settings

We, and our third-party partners, use cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies to collect, store, monitor, and process certain information about you when you access and use our services, read our emails, or otherwise engage with us. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences, or your device. We use that information to make the site work, analyze performance and traffic on our website, to provide a more personalized web experience, and assist in our marketing efforts. We also share information with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners. You can change your default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of required cookies when utilizing our site; this includes necessary cookies that help our site to function (such as remembering your cookie preference settings). For more information, please see our Privacy Notice.

Marketing

On

We use online advertising to promote our mission and help constituents find our services. Marketing pixels help us measure the success of our campaigns.

User Feedback and Session Replay

On

We use qualitative data from LogRocket, UserZoom, Hotjar and AB Tasty to learn about your user experience and improve our products and services. LogRocket allows us to view session replays.