Nebraska Legislature Advances Budget to Block Care for 8,000 Planned Parenthood Patients
For Immediate Release: April 3, 2018
This follows similar proposal from the Trump-Pence Administration
Lincoln, NE – Today, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts’ proposed budget, which would block Title X patients from accessing care at Planned Parenthood, advanced through final reading in the Legislature. The budget now goes to the governor’s desk.
Planned Parenthood’s health centers in Nebraska serve 8,000 people through Title X each year, which is nearly one-third of all Title X patients in the state. Without Planned Parenthood, many could be forced to go without basic health care – including birth control, cancer screenings, and STD testing and treatment.
This follows a recent announcement from the Trump-Pence administration that threatens to block access to care at Planned Parenthood for Title X patients nationwide.
Meg Mikolajczyk, associate general counsel and sr. public affairs manager, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland:
We will keep fighting for our patients, and we are exploring all options. Our doors will remain open, and we will continue to offer all of our services. Whether the governor likes it or not, Planned Parenthood is the leading provider of family planning care. Women know us, women trust us, and there is no substitute for the expert level of care we provide. There is no legitimate reason that our 8,000 patients should have to try to go somewhere else, especially when there really isn’t anywhere else for them to go.
Statement from Dawn Laguens, executive vice president, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:
Gov. Ricketts is kowtowing to the Trump-Pence administration, and it’s women and families who will suffer as a result. This is a direct attack on every person’s right to control their bodies, lives, and futures. Planned Parenthood is the trusted provider for 8,000 Nebraskans who need access to birth control, cancer screenings, and STD testing and treatment. Without Planned Parenthood, many of our patients could lose access to health care altogether, because other providers cannot serve all of our patients. We must keep fighting to make sure everyone has the freedom and opportunity to access the care they need.
In 2015, Planned Parenthood’s health center in Lincoln served 75 percent of all Title X patients in Lancaster County. That same year, Planned Parenthood’s Omaha health center served nearly half of all Title X patients in Douglas County. Nationwide, Planned Parenthood health centers serve 41 percent of Title X patients. Due to systemic barriers, women of color rely on the Title X program at higher rates than white women. Out of the four million family planning clients whom Title X serves, more than half are women of color: 21 percent of all Title X clients identify as Black or African American, and 30 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino.
The Title X program is the only federal program dedicated to birth control access. Since the program started in 1970, it has garnered broad, bipartisan support year after year. Title X is meant to ensure that every person — regardless of where they live, how much money they make, their background, or whether or not they have health insurance -- has access to basic, preventive reproductive health care, such as birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and well-woman exams. Title X is an important safety net for people who would otherwise go without health care. This includes communities of color and people with low incomes, two groups who historically face more barriers to care and are less likely to have health insurance.
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.