Planned Parenthood Praises Passage of Children’s Health Care Bill
Bush Faces Choice: For or Against Children's Health Care
WASHINGTON, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider, today praised the U.S. Congress for passing legislation that would provide health insurance for more uninsured children and increase health care access for low-income children and families.
“Planned Parenthood applauds the majority of members of Congress who voted in favor of health care for more children and families,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “Planned Parenthood urges President Bush to sign this important and bipartisan legislation that will ensure more children and pregnant women get access to quality, affordable health insurance, and not deny millions of children access to health care.
“President Bush has a simple choice: he can either be for children’s health care, or he can be against it,” said Richards.
Planned Parenthood mobilized tens of thousands of supporters to contact their members of Congress on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill. Planned Parenthood also worked with governors and members of Congress on this legislation.
In addition to providing more funding for children’s health care, the bill has other provisions that will have a positive impact on children and families, including
• simplifying and streamlining documentation procedures for children
• providing funding for outreach and enrollment to reach more children
• giving states the option to cover low-income pregnant women
• giving states the option to simplify enrollment through Express Lane eligibility
As the leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider, Planned Parenthood is dedicated to prevention and education.
“The best way to build healthy families is to put prevention first — and that means making sure our children have health insurance, women have access to reproductive health care and affordable birth control, and teens have access to medically accurate information,” said Cecile Richards.
“While this legislation represents a huge step forward for the health and safety of children and families across the nation, more work remains to be done,” said Richards. “Thousands of legal immigrant children, some of the most vulnerable among us, won’t be covered by SCHIP. We look forward to working with Congress in the future to make sure legal immigrant children and pregnant women have access to health insurance.”
Every year, Planned Parenthood provides millions of women, men and teens with health care information and services. Learn more about the Planned Parenthood Prevention First Agenda.
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Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved. Planned Parenthood affiliates operate more than 860 health centers nationwide, providing medical services and sexuality education for millions of women, men, and teenagers each year. We also work with allies worldwide to ensure that all women and men have the right and the means to meet their sexual and reproductive health care needs.
Contacts
Christy Setzer, 202-973-4975
Tait Sye, 202-973-4840
Published: 09.27.07
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