Washington, D.C. —(ENEWSPF)–February 9, 2017. As part of a broader anti-choice agenda, Republicans in Congress are pushing to eliminate an Obama administration rule that protects Title X providers, who administer family planning services to about 4 million clients each year. If successful, the move could cause millions of people to go without access to affordable family planning services, reduce the Title X provider network, and tie the hands of providers working on the front lines who are dedicated to responding to underserved communities.
A new fact sheet released by the Center for American Progress outlines the essential role that Title X plays in supporting access to comprehensive health care for all people and calls on congressional Republicans to abandon their anti-choice agenda.
For decades, the Title X Family Planning Program has been a lifeline for women, helping them to have healthier families and lead healthier lives. In fact, Title X is the only federal program focused solely on providing people with critical reproductive health services related to family planning and contraception, including physical exams, prescriptions, laboratory exams, contraceptive supplies, and referrals when medically needed.
In December 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule clarifying regulations for family planning services under Title X. The rule, which prevents states from blocking federal funding to health care providers that perform abortions with nongovernment funds, took effect on January 18, 2017. Now, anti-choice lawmakers in Congress are looking to eliminate the rule by way of the Congressional Review Act.
“It is completely reckless for anti-choice politicians to once again wage ideologically driven attacks against Title X, a highly successful and popular program,” said Jamila K. Taylor, a Senior Fellow at CAP and co-author of the fact sheet. “Without Title X providers like Planned Parenthood, millions could be left with no access to affordable family planning services—period. These attacks will inflict direct harm on already vulnerable populations, including individuals who are uninsured, low-income, or seeking confidential services.”
Without Title X funding, the number of unintended pregnancies, unplanned births, and abortions each year in the United States would be 66 percent higher. Importantly, Title X clinics are also one of the few places that provide confidential family planning care for young women. Without publicly funded contraceptive clinics, an additional 360,000 teenagers would become pregnant each year—an increase of 73 percent.
Investing in family planning also saves taxpayers money: In 2010, every government dollar spent on family planning programs and providers saved an average of $7.09 in Medicaid-related costs, adding up to net government savings of about $13.6 billion.
Read the fact sheet: What’s at Stake for Women: The Threat to Title X Family Planning and Why It Matters by Kiersten Gillette-Pierce and Jamila K. Taylor
Read also:
- Ensuring Access to Family Planning Services for All by Donna Barry and Amelia Esenstad
- STATEMENT: CAP’s Jamila K. Taylor on Issuance of HHS Rule Clarifying Regulations for Family Planning Services Under Title X
Source: http://americanprogress.org
