Planned Parenthood Applauds Senate Budget

For Immediate Release: May 21, 2015

Contact:  Colleen Fazio, Communications Manager (617) 515-0531

Planned Parenthood Applauds Senate Budget

Senate increases critical family planning funding

BOSTON—Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) commends the Senate for including $5.525 million for critical family planning programming in its budget.

“We are grateful the Senate recognized the importance of family planning in its FY2016 budget proposal, and call on the Conference Committee to demonstrate this same commitment to Massachusetts women and families and maintain the Senate’s proposed funding level,” said Tricia Wajda, Director of Public Affairs.  “For many women, the state’s investment in family planning services makes the difference between having access to cancer screenings and birth control or forgoing health care altogether.  Family planning funding makes it possible for essential community health care providers to offer a wide range of preventive health care services to Massachusetts families.”

The Senate’s budget provides approximately $500,000 more for family planning than Governor Baker’s proposal and the House budget, as passed, which both included about $5 million.

More than 300,000 Massachusetts women and families use publicly funded family planning centers for basic health care.  These centers provide essential preventative and clinical care to Massachusetts women who would otherwise be unable to afford such care.  Investment in family planning is also cost effective: for every $1 the state invests in this program, $7.09 is saved.  

Background

The Senate’s proposed budget includes $5.5 million for family planning services that provide preventive health care to vulnerable teens and low-income women and men.  This funding level represents an increase over the $5 million that was included in the FY15 budget. 

In the absence of publicly supported family planning services, the rates of unintended pregnancy, unplanned birth and abortion would 40% higher in Massachusetts, and the teen pregnancy rate would be 70% higher.[i]

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) is the largest freestanding reproductive health care provider and advocate in the Commonwealth, providing sexual and reproductive health care to more than 30,000 patients per year. PPLM provides a wide range of preventive health care services including lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, and STD testing and treatment, and abortion services and ensure that women have accurate information about all of their options. For 87 years, PPLM has protected and promoted sexual and reproductive health and rights through clinical services, education and advocacy.  For more information, visit www.pplm.org.

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[i] Guttmacher Institute;  Retrieved 3 February 2015 from http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/family-planning/MA.html 

Source

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts

Published

May 27, 2015