Planned Parenthood Under Risk under the American Health Care Act

Planned Parenthood Could Be Defunded in 2017 If Nothing is Done to Change the Republican HealthCare Plan (TrumpCare)

Planned Parenthood is at risk of being defunded in 2017. The American Health Care Act (RyanCare/TrumpCare) cuts funding to Planned Parenthood and strips coverage from 52 million.

UPDATE 2019: The plan never passed, so the information is of historic relevance only.

It redirects some funding to community health centers and attempts to reduce the cost of coverage, but neither “positive” fully offsets damage this bill does to our poorest, women, and seniors.

Defunding Medicaid and Planned Parenthood and reducing the assistance contained in the American Health Care Act hurts our poorest, women, and seniors.

The main “crusade” here is led by the religious right and has become part of the Republican platform against providing abortions, whether funded by tax money or not. This is why such a divisive provision made its way into a bill meant to “save healthcare.”

The problem with this is the argument is based on rhetoric and emotion and not logic and fact.

Planned Parenthood does not get federal funding for abortions, and thus the whole attack on women and Planned Parenthood is based on “alternative facts.”

FACT: Most of what Planned Parenthood does is preventive services, STD testing and treatments, pap tests, breast exams, etc. Poor women in rural regions without community health centers could be in real trouble as under the Republican plan they won’t have access to Medicaid or Planned Parenthood. There is a provision for increased funding for Community Health Centers, but many towns lack them.

Planned Parenthood and Abortions

Planned Parenthood provides essential services to over 5 million Americans. Only three percent of all Planned Parenthood health services were abortion services in 2013 – 2014.

From June 30th, 2013 – June 30th, 2014 they provided 10,590,433 services for over 5,000,000 Americans; 327,653 these services were abortions. See page 18 of official Planned Parenthood report.

Planned Parenthood does receive federal funding. However, by law, the money cannot be used for abortions.

Medicaid funding doesn’t go to abortion services. Instead, Planned Parenthood accepts Medicaid and other insurance for some other health services allowed by the law, just as any other healthcare provider would. They are refunded for the services provided and must account for every dollar.

Title X funding doesn’t go to pay for abortion services either.

No federal funding goes to pay for abortion services, PERIOD.

The Hyde Amendment makes it illegal to use federal tax dollars for abortion services except in very specific instances. Planned Parenthood doesn’t do anything beyond what is allowed for by the Hyde Amendment, and neither does any other law-abiding institution.

Instead, Planned Parenthood provides a host of essential health services for men and woman who may be without health insurance or with access only to Medicaid.

Health services shouldn’t be a political issue so much as a public health issue. Unfortunately, it becomes political when politicians spread talking points or try to defund Planned Parenthood in a bill meant to “repair” the Affordable Care Act. See a list of fact-checks on political talking points aimed at Planned Parenthood. Many people will be shocked to see the difference between what Planned Parenthood does and what its critics claim it does.

Find out how you can help protect Planned Parenthood, and find out how you can help protect ObamaCare.

Learn more about why we still need Planned Parenthood.