How to Fact Check Politicians on Planned Parenthood

Main message: The government does not “fund” Planned Parenthood, and there’s no line-item in the budget for Planned Parenthood. “Defunding” really means blocking patients who use public programs, like Medicaid, from getting care at Planned Parenthood.

Top stat: Most federal dollars that Planned Parenthood gets are Medicaid reimbursements for preventive services. Planned Parenthood gets reimbursed just like any other hospital or doctor’s office.

Supporting statement: “Defunding” Planned Parenthood and shutting down all its health centers would undercut the nation’s health care safety net, take away care from people who already have a harder time accessing it, and ultimately cause a national health care disaster.

Main message: An unfair law already blocks federal funds for abortion — it’s called the Hyde Amendment, and it punishes women on Medicaid and other federal insurance by keeping abortion coverage out-of-reach.

Top stat: About 60% of Planned Parenthood patients rely on public programs like Medicaid to access preventive care, including lifesaving Pap smears, breast cancer screenings, birth control, STD tests, and well-woman exams.

Supporting statement: Misleading the public about how funding works is just part of an extreme agenda to shut down Planned Parenthood and make it impossible to access safe, legal abortion.

Main message: Without Planned Parenthood, many patients would have nowhere else to go for care.

Top stat: More than half of Planned Parenthood's health centers are in rural and underserved communities, and experts have demonstrated — over and over again — that community health centers (also called federally qualified health centers) don’t have the capacity to accept its 2.5 million patients.

Supporting statement: The executive director of the American Public Health Association called the idea that community health centers could absorb Planned Parenthood’s patients “ludicrous” — and lawmakers should, too.

Main message: 20 nationwide and 12 state polls show that the American public overwhelmingly supports Planned Parenthood and strongly opposes blocking patients from care at its health centers.

Top stat: 75% of Americans support Planned Parenthood and oppose blocking Medicaid patients from its health centers, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Supporting statement: If the Women’s Marches and other town halls across the country prove anything, it’s that people care about women’s rights — and we’re not backing down.

Main message: "Defunding" would have devastating consequences for millions of people who already face barriers to care, particularly people of color, people in rural communities, and people with low incomes.

Top stat: Nearly half of Planned Parenthood patients are people of color, and many of Planned Parenthood’s patients live in rural areas.

Supporting statement: Without Planned Parenthood, there aren’t enough health care providers to deliver the millions of medical services it provides each year.