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 Second Texas Shoe to Drop With the fragile network of women's health providers reeling from state budget cuts (see below), another blow is expected to hit soon. As San Antonio Express-News columnist O. Ricardo Pimentel points out, the standoff between the state of Texas and the federal government about the Women's Health Program (WHP) is headed for a showdown. Texas has applied to continue WHP but intends to exclude Planned Parenthood -- or any provider that is an "affiliate" of an abortion provider -- from providing services in the program. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has indicated that exclusion of a qualified provider is not allowable under the Medicaid statute. CMS extended the current WHP program until March 31, to allow some time for continued negotiations. The situation appears still to be at an impasse. Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner (HHSC) Thomas Suehs signed a rule, due to go into effect March 14, that formally excludes Planned Parenthood clinics and other "affiliates" of abortion providers from participating in WHP. Given Texas' official stance, it appears likely that WHP will end at the end of March. WHP is a Medicaid program that each year provides preventive care and birth control (not abortion) to about 120,000 low-income women ages 18 to 44. The women served by WHP would be eligible for Medicaid if they were pregnant; WHP allows them to delay or space their pregnancies. Along with the state's Family Planning program (severely cut, as detailed below), WHP is one of the two programs providing contraception for low-income Texas women. If WHP ends, this will be a second devastating blow to the women's health safety net in Texas. More clinics will close, and many more low-income women will have to do without access to contraception. Much of this safety-net infrastructure will be lost, and it will take years to rebuild. As it stands now, community health centers are not be able to take on the care of so many new patients. The intent of Texas legislators in restricting WHP providers may have been to decrease abortions. However, the actual effect will be to cut off access to contraception, with many more unplanned pregnancies -- and likely more abortions. |
The Contraception Crunch in Texas
The recent controversy about religious organizations and contraceptive coverage has put access to birth control front and center in the national news. Here in Texas, because of massive cuts to the state's Family Planning program, access to birth control is already tenuous -- or gone -- for many thousands of low-income women. And the situation is likely to get worse.
Last year, the Texas Legislature cut the funding for family planning by two-thirds, from $111.5 million in 2010 - 2011 to $37.9 million for the 2012 - 2013 biennium. This program consists of federal dollars that are used to pay for checkups, screenings, and birth control -- not abortion -- for low-income Texans around the state.
Of the 71 clinics that had received funding in the past 2 years, only 41 are now funded. Clinics have closed, and many are struggling, unable to help patients who cannot pay for their birth control.
In Bexar County, yearly funding was cut by about 70%, from nearly $3 million to under $1 million. University Health System has reduced its prevention clinics to 4, and anticipates serving only 3,000 women per year, down from about 10,000.
Lack of access to birth control translates into more unplanned pregnancies, higher health risks for mothers and babies, and far more Medicaid costs to state taxpayers. Lack of access to contraception will likely mean more abortions, as well.
Ironically, legislators who supported these cuts may have thought they were acting to close abortion clinics. Rep. Wayne Christian of Nacodoches was quoted in a story about an Austin clinic as saying, "If these are clinics that were not providing abortions, I would have to question whether this cut hit them." In fact, the cuts and closings have affected clinics providing preventive care and birth control -- not abortion clinics.
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A Great Big Decisions Training!
Many thanks to trainer extraordinaire, Stephanie Hebert, and to the attendees from San Antonio and around Texas who participated the Big Decisions training on February 17. The feedback was enthusiastic about this day-long experience.
Big Decisions is an abstinence-plus, medically accurate, easy-to-use curriculum that has been evaluated as a "promising program". The goal of this 1-day training was to prepare teachers, facilitators, health educators, nurses, and nursing/medical students to effectively facilitate the curriculum, which is authored by Dr. Janet Realini. The 10-session curriculum includes lessons on anatomy/reproduction, healthy relationships, contraception, STD's, goals and dreams, and much more!
Big Decisions is compatible with Texas law and has been approved and used in more than 20 Texas school districts. For more information about Big Decisions, visit www.BigDecisions.org.
Please let us know if YOU are interested in a future training. Please call Healthy Futures of Texas at 210.223.4589 or email BigD@HealthyFuturesTX.org.
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Healthy Futures of Texas is committed to reducing teen pregnancy rates in San Antonio
by providing evidence-based programs to young people and
by providing workshops that empower parents to communicate with their teens about sex.
We advocate for accurate and effective education and for increased access to health services,
and we're working to create a healthy social norm regarding teen sexuality and parenthood.
Support Healthy Futures of Texas
Help us reduce teen and unplanned pregnancy in San Antonio!
2300 W. Commerce, Ste. 203
San Antonio, Texas, 78207
210.223.4589
info@healthyfuturestx.org
For More Information,
Read our ANNUAL REPORT
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