Kasich Wants to Cut Women’s Health Out of Medicaid

Washington, DC --- In tonight’s GOP debate, John Kasich bragged about his record in Ohio, where he claims to have expanded access to health care through Medicaid. But on the campaign trail, he advocated for just that— cutting access to reproductive care for Medicaid patients who receive care at Planned Parenthood.

John Kasich has cut benefits — for women who want to access to reproductive health care. As the Governor of Ohio, Kasich has used every tool at his disposal to incrementally enact 17 measures that have significantly reduced access to safe and legal abortion and other essential reproductive health services.

Planned Parenthood clinics in Ohio saw nearly 80,000 patients in 2013. They helped over 66,000 patients access contraceptive services and saw over 105,000 patients in need of STI testing.

FACT: Kasich Wants to cut access to reproductive care for Medicaid patients who receive care at Planned Parenthood.

Columbus Dispatch: “Kasich administration still looking at ways to keep Medicaid money from Planned Parenthood”
New Republic:“The state's Republican-controlled legislature is fast-tracking a new billthat aims to cut off federal funds Planned Parenthood receives—and which are distributed as grants by the state—for a range of health services including HIV testing, infant mortality reduction, rape-prevention classes, and breast and cervical cancer screening.”

FACT: Kasich Signed a Budget that Defunds Planned Parenthood.

In 2013, Governor Kasich, surrounded by men, signed into law a sweeping two-year state budget that includes a provision that effectively strips funding from Planned Parenthood, blocks public hospitals from arranging transfer agreements with abortion clinics, and requires abortion providers to provide ultrasounds to women seeking abortions. It also allows public funding for rape crisis clinics to be suspended if they counsel victims on abortion options. [Reuters, 6/30/13;The Columbus Dispatch, 7/3/13]

FACT: Kasich plans to sign Ohio bill to defund lifesaving cancer screenings, infant mortality prevention programs, and HIV and STI testing.

Governor John Kasich voiced his supportfor an extreme bill to defund Planned Parenthood programs that passed the Ohio Senate last week. Kasich supports this bill despite the devastating and very real impact it would have on tens of thousands of women and men in Ohio.