FACT SHEET
Assembly Republicans Gut Women's Health,
Eliminate Cost Saving Family Planning Programs & Put Families Last
Background:
In a
stunning move, the Assembly Republicans put forth a budget which eliminates 32
private family planning health centers, like Planned Parenthood, by prohibiting
these private entities from being eligible for state funds. Another 20 private family planning clinics
could also be eliminated should this prohibition be extended to Medicaid funds.
The Assembly Budget Guts
Preventive Health Care for Women:
The
Assembly budget effectively guts preventive health care for women by
eliminating programs for the testing and treatment of cervical and breast
cancer, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment and access to
birth control for thousands of
- Eliminates at least 32
private family planning health centers, by making all private family
planning providers categorically ineligible for ANY state family planning
funds;
- Could impact another 20
private family planning health centers if the prohibition on state funds
going to private entities extends to Medicaid funds;
- Threatens the continuation of
the successful Medicaid Family Planning Waiver program, which has saved
the state almost $90 million dollars since 2004;
- Reduces monies allocated for
cervical and breast cancer testing in rural communities and through the
Wisconsin Well Women Program;
- Required the state to apply
for abstinence only sex education monies from the federal government,
which Governor Doyle rejected earlier this year due to the ineffectiveness
of these programs.
The Assembly Budget Puts Women and
Families Last:
- This budget places women and families
last. It is an attack on women,
birth control, and preventive care such as cervical cancer screening,
breast exams and sexually transmitted testing and treatment.
- It completely destroys the
state's family planning system, leaving women and families without needed
preventative health services and resulting in losing millions of dollars
in federal matching funds.
- This budget isn't about
saving money. It dismantles family
planning such as the Family Planning Waiver program which has saved the
state almost $90 million dollars since 2004. The Family Planning Waiver program alone
is estimated to attract over $23.7 million dollars in federal funds to
This information
was compiled by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. For more
information about legislation related to reproductive health, or to join our
action alert network, log onto http://www.ppawi.org