Eugene, OR -- Yesterday, House Republicans released a bill to repeal key provisions of the Affordable Care Act that includes a provision to specifically block people with Medicaid coverage from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood health centers, including birth control, cancer screenings, and STD testing and treatment.
If enacted, prohibiting patients from accessing preventive care at Planned Parenthood health centers would have a devastating impact on people and communities across America, including in Southwestern Oregon where Planned Parenthood provided more than 30,000 patient visits in 2016. It is important to note that federal funding does not go towards abortion, a law Planned Parenthood opposes but follows. Every year, 2.5 million people rely on Planned Parenthood health centers across the country for essential health services, and studies consistently show that proposals to "defund" Planned Parenthood will result in people losing access to health care. As experts have repeatedly said, other providers cannot absorb Planned Parenthood's patients.
"It is a misnomer to call this a defunding of Planned Parenthood," said Lisa Gardner, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon. "The reality is that there is no blank check that Planned Parenthood gets from the federal government, and we are not a line item in the federal budget."
"This legislation would prevent millions of women and men who rely on Medicaid or other federal programs for health care coverage from accessing the critical care they need at Planned Parenthood."
In another swipe at Planned Parenthood and the patients Planned Parenthood serves, yesterday an article in the New York Times reported that the Trump White House is proposing that Planned Parenthood stop providing abortions. The article indicated the White House is aware and worried about the political repercussions of the Republican effort to defund Planned Parenthood.
"To be clear, this proposal by the White House, that Planned Parenthood stop providing abortion care, is the same demand that been levied for decades by opponents of women's health," reiterated Gardner. "Planned Parenthood's commitment is, and always will be, to the women and men who rely on us for their full range of health care, including birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, and abortion care."
What: Rally in support of Medicaid Patient Access to Planned Parenthood
When: Today, March 7, 2017; 5:30 PM
Where: Steps of the New Federal Court House, 405 E 8th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
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Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon (PPSO) has been dedicated to providing expert reproductive health care and sexuality education in Southwestern Oregon for over 50 years. PPSO sees over 38,000 patients each year at six health centers. PPSO is also the region's most respected provider of medically accurate sexuality education for young people and adults, as well as training programs for professionals who work with youth and families. Education and training programs make over 8,000 contacts each year, transforming the lives of young people in southwestern Oregon. PPSO's essential health services include breast and cervical cancer screenings, well-woman annual exams, birth control, STD prevention, testing and treatment, pregnancy testing, and HPV vaccinations. For more information, visit www.ppsworegon.org.
House Introduces Bill to Repeal ACA and Block Medicaid Patients From Coming to Planned Parenthood for Critical Care, Local Planned Parenthood to Host Rally in Opposition to Congressional Action
March 7, 2017
