Planned Parenthood
For the past century, Planned Parenthood has transformed women's health and empowered millions of people worldwide to make informed health decisions, forever changing the way they live, love, learn and work.
Hyde Amendment
For far too long, the United States has penalized low-income women seeking abortion — forcing those already struggling to make ends meet to pay the biggest proportion of her income for safe, legal care.
Since 1976, the Hyde Amendment has blocked federal Medicaid funding for abortion services (since 1994, there have been three extremely narrow exceptions: when continuing the pregnancy will endanger the woman’s life, or when the pregnancy results from rape or incest). This means Medicaid cannot cover abortion even when a woman’s health is at risk and her doctor recommends she get an abortion.
When insurance coverage provides for all pregnancy-related health care except abortion, it interferes with the private health decisions that are best left to the woman, her doctor, and her family. The Hyde Amendment is a dangerous and unfair policy that lets politicians interfere in a woman’s personal health care decisions.
When policymakers deny a woman insurance coverage for abortion, she is either forced to carry the pregnancy to term or pay for care out of her own pocket.
So, the Hyde Amendment is particularly harmful low-income women, women of color, young people and immigrants — who disproportionately rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage.
Consider these facts:
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15.6 million women (ages 19 to 64) have Medicaid coverage. If every state expands its Medicaid program, as the Affordable Care Act allows, about 1.5 million additional women will be newly eligible for Medicaid coverage.
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Medicaid provides coverage to 1 in 5 women of reproductive age (15-44).
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Due to the structural inequalities in our country that link racism, sexism, and economic inequality, women of color disproportionately comprise the majority of Medicaid enrollees. In fact, 30% of Black women and 24% of Hispanic women are enrolled in Medicaid, compared to 14% of white women.
Women facing an unintended pregnancy must have access to safe, legal abortion services.
All people deserve access to birth control and other preventive care.
All people should have equal access to reproductive health care. That’s why we're fighting to protect it for everyone.
Planned Parenthood is a respected leader in educating Americans about reproductive and sexual health. We deliver comprehensive sex education that empowers all people to make informed choices and lead healthy lives. Planned Parenthood is proud of its vital role in providing young people with honest sexuality and relationship information in classrooms and online to help reduce our nation’s alarmingly high rates of unintended teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Planned Parenthood affiliates provide educational programs and outreach to 1.5 million young people and adults every year.
Trump Signs Bill That Threatens Health Care Protections for 4 Million Title X Family Planning Patients
By Planned Parenthood Action Fund | April 13, 2017, 12:17 p.m.
The measure undermines women’s health by overturning a rule that reinforced protections for over 4 million people who rely on Title X, the nation’s family planning program.
The bill signed by President Trump today does not “defund” Planned Parenthood (that is a separate issue). However, this latest move could embolden states to try to block access to health care through Title X, both Planned Parenthood health centers and independent clinics.
Here's the thing: Too many people face barriers to health care — especially young people, people of color, those who live in rural areas, and people with low incomes — for such blatant attacks on reproductive health.
But this is just the latest in a string of attacks on reproductive health and rights. In fact, Republican leaders have spent the past three months trading away women’s health and rights at every turn. It's clear that we are facing the worst political attack on women’s health in a generation.
Timeline of Attacks
In January, the Obama administration moved to protect the Title X program and the more than 4 million people who rely on it for preventive health care.
After the inauguration, the federal government fell into the hands of extremist lawmakers who have tried for years to cut people off from reproductive care.
On March 30, 2017, anti-women's health politicians in the Senate moved to demolish the Obama administration's protections. They were one vote short — so, Vice President Pence rushed over to push this outrageous bill through. That's right: The vote was tied 50-50 until Vice President Pence cast the deciding vote.
Impact of the Bill
The White House and extremists in Congress just made it harder for women to get the essential, basic health care they need to survive and to thrive. This dangerous bill emboldens states to prevent use of Title X funds at a health center just because it also provides safe, legal abortion.
“People are sick and tired of politicians making it even harder for them to access health care, and this bill is just the latest example. Planned Parenthood strongly opposes President Trump’s willingness to undermine millions of women’s access to birth control through the Title X family planning program. Four million people depend on the Title X family planning program, and by signing this bill, President Trump disregards their health and well-being.
—Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America
About Title X
Title X provides basic preventive health care for millions of people with low incomes or without health insurance. Title X is the only federal program dedicated solely to family planning.
Take Action
In case it wasn’t clear, Pence and his allies in Congress are dead set on dismantling access to health care and protections for women wherever they can — no matter how many people they hurt, and no matter how unpopular it is. Take action to protect access to reproductive health.
