Planned Parenthood Down the Drain

An article in the Austin Chronicle written by Jordan Smith stated that with Planned Parenthood out of the Texas, the cost of serving patients actually increased while the family planning budget took a tremendous decrease not only in funding but also in patients. According to the Department of StateHealth records, “The state served just 75,160 family planning clients during the 2012 fiscal year,” compared to the 200,000 clients served in 2011. With 63% decrease in clientele, these uninsured women are not able to receive the basic health care from family planning services. The cost of clients increased about 15%, “from an average of roughly $206 per client in year 2011 to nearly $237 per client in 2012,” says Jordan Smith.

The cause of the increase in family planning budget was due to the major decrease in budget done by Texas Lawmakers ironically on April fool’s Day of 2011. Lawmakers decided to take money that was saved for the FederalTitle X money which was dedicated to family planning but now has been abolished. The only money that the family planning budget has now is nearly $18 million in 2012 from a whopping $60 million in 2011 YIKES! The program was designed to exclude Planned Parenthood which happens to provide the largest number of family planning providers for the least amount of money per client but is now debarred.

Due to the new funding matrix that was created, majority of these family planning clinics where shut out from receiving and Title X funding, in favor of first funding “federally qualified health center” that typically cost more because of rank. Spokeswomen Christie Mann stated in an email that cost increase in 2012 is not related to the new funding but rather the “agencies have started to decrease their capacity and/or size due to budget cuts.” Christie Mann feels that this will resolve itself over time and cost should return to previous levels.

I feel that if we keep neglecting a large part of America who needs the health care that is affordable, this will come around and affect health care centers that will not be able make their quota for clients or members. Planned Parenthood was a good thing for the state of Texas and now that it’s taken away, just another entitlement Americans are stripped from due to greediness.