Wisconsin Report: “Defunding” Planned Parenthood Would Have Devastating Consequences for People in Paul Ryan’s Own Backyard
By Miriam Berg | Jan. 17, 2017, 9:23 p.m. | Comments
Category: Attacks on Planned Parenthood, State Attacks
“Defunding” Planned Parenthood would cause a national health care disaster — including in Paul Ryan’s home state of Wisconsin, according to a new report.
“Defunding” Would Deny ~40,000 Wisconsinites’ Care at Planned Parenthood
Paul Ryan’s plan to “defund” Planned Parenthood would devastate health care for people in his own state. Many of the approximately 40,000 Wisconsinites who use Medicaid and rely on Planned Parenthood for care would have nowhere else to go for care.
Case in point: More than 70% of counties Planned Parenthood serves in Wisconsin have a shortage of health care providers. There simply aren’t enough reproductive health care providers who take Medicaid who can fill the gap for the care Planned Parenthood centers provide.
“Defunding” Hurts Those Already Struggling to Get By
The findings reinforce what we already know: “Defunding” Planned Parenthood hurts people struggling to get by and those who already face barriers to health care — especially people of color, people with low incomes, and people who live in rural areas.
In Wisconsin, 30% of Planned Parenthood health center patients are Black and 19% are Latino (higher proportions than the state’s general population) — these groups already face disproportionate barriers in accessing health care.
Nationwide, more than half of Planned Parenthood health centers are in rural or underserved areas. In about one of every five counties Planned Parenthood health centers serve, Planned Parenthood is the only safety-net family planning provider.
“Defunding” Planned Parenthood Would Cause a National Health Disaster, with Millions Losing Care
We saw what happened in Mike Pence’s home state of Indiana, when Planned Parenthood shut down and residents of Scott County were left with nowhere to turn for HIV tests in the face of an epidemic. Now, Paul Ryan is threatening the same fate for Wisconsinites and people across the country by denying them access to testing and treatment for STIs, cancer screenings, birth control, and other care.
Think about it: The report indicates that closure of Planned Parenthood health centers in Wisconsin would harm those already facing health care disparities, likely affecting teen birth rates and STI prevalence rates.
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Tags: Obamacare, Planned Parenthood, State Fights, Congress, Medicaid, Paul Ryan, Wisconsin
