Update: Women's Health Program

As a new year and a new legislative session begin, the Texas Women's Health Program (WHP) saga continues.  On Dec. 31, a state district judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order, allowing the state to proceed with its exclusion of Planned Parenthood clinics from the new, state-only funded program on January 1.  Planned Parenthood and the patient suing the state will have another opportunity to argue in favor of the restraining order at a hearing on January 11.

The WHP began as a Medicaid expansion in 2007, covering cancer and other screenings, annual exams, and contraception (but not abortion or emergency contraception).  The program has served approximately 130,000 women per year and saved the state $23.6 million per year in Medicaid costs for maternity and infant care.  The 90% federal contribution to covering the cost of WHP ended on December 31; the federal Health and Human Services Department ruled Texas' exclusion of Planned Parenthood from the program as incompatible with the federal Medicaid statute. 

There have also been concerns about the ability of other health providers to absorb the tens of thousands of women in WHP who have received their care at Planned Parenthood clinics.   On January 7, the Texas the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) released a survey report about provider capacity in areas served by Planned Parenthood clinics.  The HHSC survey found adequate provider capacity in most areas of the state.  However, concerns remain because the projected capacity is dramatically higher than current service levels.   Monitoring will be important to document how much of this anticipated capacity actually materializes going forward.  

 
Texas' High Rate, High Cost of Unplanned Pregnancy

New data from the Guttmacher Institute find that Texas women have a higher rate of unplanned pregnancy than the nation as a whole. In 2006, 53% of pregnancies in Texas were unplanned, compared to 49% nationally.

Low-income women are more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy and to use publicly funded maternity care. In 2006, 3 out of 4 (74%) of unplanned pregnancies in Texas were paid for by Medicaid, with tax costs of nearly $1.3 billion.

The report also noted that publicly supported family planning centers met only 32% of Texas women's need for affordable contraceptive care.  This means that more unplanned pregnancies could be prevented -- and more tax costs saved -- with  more funding of women's preventive care and contraception.  

But, rather than increasing the funding, Texas has dramatically decreased funding.  Our state's high rates and costs of unplanned pregnancy are likely to increase even further as a result of the 2011 Texas Legislature's severe (two-thirds) cuts to funding for women's preventive healthcare.

As the 2013 Texas Legislative session begins, the Healthy Futures Alliance, as a member of the new Texas Women's Healthcare Coalition will be working to restore funding levels for preventive care for low-income Texas women. Restoring access to affordable screenings and birth control will improve the health of low-income women and their babies, and allow them to avoid unplanned pregnancy.

Pimentel: Texas' Teen Pregnancy "Leadership"

Last month, San Antonio Express-News Columnist Ricardo Pimentel lamented Texas' "leadership" role in teen pregnancy. Texas is indeed leading the way, but not in ways that it should be. Despite the progress that has been made, Texas' teen and unplanned pregnancy rates are significantly higher than the national rates.     

Many experts agree that effective sexual health education and access to health care, including contraception, are keys to progress in teen pregnancy prevention.  However, in Texas, family planning funding has been cut by two-thirds, and there is no mandate to teach effective, evidence-based sex education in schools.  

Pimentel finds teen pregnancy "the most frustrating of all of Texas' problems. The solutions are so doable, the tools so readily available and the effects so deep, lingering and avoidable."

Conservative Support for Contraception

In a New York Times Op-Ed column, Juleanna Glover makes the case for Republican support of public financing for contraception. A conservative who has worked for many years with leaders of the "pro-life" movement, Glover argues that abortion opponents should support pro-contraception initiatives "since making contraception as affordable and available as possible reduces the number of unwanted pregnancies and thus abortions."

Glover encourages Republicans to support Title X ("ten") funding to "ensure that no woman finds herself pregnant because she cannot afford effective contraception, as these women will either have abortions or give birth under Medicaid coverage, which increases the burden on taxpayers."  Title X Family Planning provides funding to state and local entities for contraceptive care for low-income women.

Glover points out that better access to effective contraceptives would reduce government costs and the number of abortions and "empower women to decide for themselves when they want to have children, advance their education or pursue career opportunities."

At Healthy Futures of Texas, we are encouraged by the increasing attention to the value of prevention among conservatives and people of faith.  We know that people from many different perspectives value the health and economic benefits for women, babies, and families of preventive care, which empowers women to avoid unplanned pregnancy before it happens.  The Healthy Futures Alliance (HFA) coalition, which Healthy Futures of Texas supports, includes both "pro-life' and "pro-choice" members, working together on prevention of both teen and unplanned pregnancy.   

Save the Date: March 20 Advocacy Day

As the Texas Legislature meets in Austin, it will be important for advocates to make their voices heard.  This year, the Healthy Futures Alliance (HFA) is participating as a member of the new Texas Women's Healthcare Coalition in a Women's Healthcare Advocacy Day, Wednesday, March 20 at the State Capitol in Austin.

HFA members and friends who would like to join us are welcome!  Advocates will meet at 10 AM at the Texas Medical Association (TMA) auditorium for orientation and briefing, then  visit their legislators and de-brief at the end of the day.  HFA plans to provide transportation between San Antonio and the Capitol for participants.  More information will be available soon. 

Have You Seen Our Video? 

If you missed Healthy Futures of Texas's Lunch with the Mayor fundraiser, you can still catch our video  on YouTube or on our home page . Many thanks to the amazing teens, parents, and staff who appear in the video to talk about the pressures on teens, the need for our programs, and the success that Healthy Futures -- along with many in our community -- have helped to create.  

Bexar County's teen birth rate has fallen 32% from 2009 to 2011. That is a decline that is faster than Texas and faster than our country as a whole.