NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–June 7, 2013. New data released today underscores the continued critical role that women’s health care providers like Planned Parenthood play in ensuring women get the preventive care they need. These providers will be especially important as millions of newly eligible women gain access to affordable health insurance and expanded health benefits in the coming months under the Affordable Care Act.
Key findings from the report, released today by the Guttmacher Institute, include:
- More than six in 10 women who obtained care at a publicly funded center that provides contraceptive services in 2006-2010 considered the center their usual source of medical care. Previous data shows that for four in 10 women obtaining care at women’s health centers that specialize in the provision of contraceptive care, that center is their only source of health care.
- Between 1995 and 2006–2010, there was a significant rise in the use of private insurance to pay for contraceptive visits—from 48 percent to 63 percent. Going forward, the Affordable Care Act is likely to accelerate this trend.
This reinforces previous Guttmacher data on the impact of Title X supported health centers, including:
- The services provided at publicly funded health centers saved the federal and state governments an estimated $5.1 billion in 2008; services provided at Title X–supported health centers accounted for nearly $3.4 billion of that total.
- Contraceptive services provided at Title X-supported centers helped prevent 973,000 unintended pregnancies in 2008, which would likely have resulted in 432,600 unintended births and 406,200 abortions.
The following is a statement from Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:
“This report underscores the critical role that Planned Parenthood and other women’s health care providers play. Simply put, we are often the only source of health care for women, and we take that responsibility very seriously. More than 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood health centers do is preventive care, including cancer screenings, STD testing, and birth control, and this new data shows that public funding for these services saves the federal government $5 billion a year while preventing nearly a million unintended pregnancies and reducing the need for abortion.
“Importantly, this report shows the central role Planned Parenthood and other women’s health care providers will play as the Affordable Care Act goes into effect. A majority of women who obtain care at a women’s health center like Planned Parenthood consider it their usual source of medical care. Many of these women are uninsured now and will begin getting health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act in just a few months. They will want and need to continue getting high-quality health care from the provider they trust, and Planned Parenthood will be there for them.
“As the nation’s leading women’s health care provider and advocate, Planned Parenthood was instrumental in getting the Affordable Care Act’s historic benefits for women enacted, and we have a unique role to play to ensure that it is successful. We are bigger and stronger than ever before, and we are focused on making sure the Affordable Care Act delivers for the women of America.”
You can view the new report here: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/sources-of-care-2013.pdf; and previous Guttmacher Title X research here: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_contraceptive_serv.html
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 750 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: plannedparenthood.org
