House Introduces Bill to Repeal ACA and Block Medicaid Patients From Coming to Planned Parenthood
For Immediate Release: March 7, 2017 (Updated: March 7, 2017, 10:54 p.m.)
DENVER, CO– Yesterday, House Republicans released a bill to repeal key provisions of the Affordable Care Act that includes a provision to specifically block people with Medicaid coverage from accessing preventive health care at Planned Parenthood health centers, including birth control, cancer screenings, and STD testing and treatment. If enacted, prohibiting patients from accessing preventive care at Planned Parenthood health centers would have a devastating impact on people and communities across America. It is important to note that federal funding does not go towards abortion, a law Planned Parenthood opposes but follows.
Every year, nearly 100,000 people rely on Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains health centers for essential health services, and studies consistently show that proposals to “defund” Planned Parenthood will result in people losing access to health care. As experts have repeatedly said, other providers cannot absorb Planned Parenthood’s patients.
Adrienne Mansanares, Chief Experience Officer of PPRM, said, "This bill would devastate access to health care for millions of Americans. Taking away access to a provider millions of people count on for expert and compassionate reproductive health care is reckless. This is not a political game, this is people's lives. Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains will continue to stand up against proposals like this that hurt our ability to serve our communities."
An initial review of the ACA repeal bill shows that the language to block people from accessing care at Planned Parenthood is the only provision that is not related to the ACA. And it is deeply unpopular with the American public.
An independent poll released in January by polling firm PerryUndem, shows that 70 percent of American voters oppose legislation that would deny patients the ability to go to Planned Parenthood for their health care – including 50 percent of Trump voters.
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