According to Jordan Smith's article The
Destruction of Texas Health Care in The Austin Chronicle "The GOP
crusade against Planned Parenthood is devastating basic care for Texas women (Smith)." 22
clinics have been defunded due to the April 1st, 2011 family-planning budget
cuts. The cuts will affect low-income and uninsured women from receiving
basic well-women exams, including screening for, cervical cancer, breast
cancer, hypertension and diabetes as well as receiving birth control to protect
against unwanted pregnancies.
The prior 100 million dollar budge has been slashed to 38 million, because of this only 60,000 out of the average 244,000 served will have access to care. The cuts have caused 11 Planned Parenthood clinics statewide to close—none of which provide abortion services. Conservative lawmakers and the pro-life groups that support them were more than excited over the cuts “proclaiming that slashing the budget would cripple Planned Parenthood, one of the state's largest providers of women's health care, and thereby bring an end to the "abortion industry (Smith)." Even though Planned Parenthood abortion services only add up to 3% of all its services.
The results are not only affecting the low income and uninsured they will affect all the taxpayers in Texas. Cutting the family-planning budge and WHP funds will cause a strain on Medicaid. “The Medicaid-waiver program is a great deal for Texas: For every $1 in state funding, the feds provide $9. In 2009, according to Texas' Health and Human Services Commission, the program saved the state $46 million and averted 10,300 Medicaid births. In 2010, the WHP served 183,537 women (Smith).”
The prior 100 million dollar budge has been slashed to 38 million, because of this only 60,000 out of the average 244,000 served will have access to care. The cuts have caused 11 Planned Parenthood clinics statewide to close—none of which provide abortion services. Conservative lawmakers and the pro-life groups that support them were more than excited over the cuts “proclaiming that slashing the budget would cripple Planned Parenthood, one of the state's largest providers of women's health care, and thereby bring an end to the "abortion industry (Smith)." Even though Planned Parenthood abortion services only add up to 3% of all its services.
The results are not only affecting the low income and uninsured they will affect all the taxpayers in Texas. Cutting the family-planning budge and WHP funds will cause a strain on Medicaid. “The Medicaid-waiver program is a great deal for Texas: For every $1 in state funding, the feds provide $9. In 2009, according to Texas' Health and Human Services Commission, the program saved the state $46 million and averted 10,300 Medicaid births. In 2010, the WHP served 183,537 women (Smith).”
Whether you are pro-choice or pro-life it is important to
understand the devastating results of cuts to the family-planning budget. These budget cuts not only affect Texas on a
moral standpoint, denying access to medical care, but also a financial one. By having these programs in place it saved
the state millions. Providing birth
control to women who do not want to become pregnant will prevent abortions and
unwanted children in the long run.
Works Cited
Smith, Jordan. The Austin Chronicle. 3 Feb
2012. Jordan Smith. 5 Feb 2012.
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