The Quickie: The Consequences of Texas Forcing Planned Parenthood Out of Medicaid Are Clear and Devastating

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: A study finds the negative impacts of banning PP from Medicaid in Texas, PP Votes warns that a national ban isn’t the only threat to abortion, and a key solution to maternal mortality may be more Black midwives.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF TEXAS FORCING PLANNED PARENTHOOD OUT OF MEDICAID ARE CLEAR AND DEVASTATING, NEW STUDY FINDS: The Daily Texan’s Sowmya Sridhar reports on a new study from the University of Texas presents the significant consequences Texans faced following the state’s decision. After the three Texas Planned Parenthood affiliates were forced out of the state’s Medicaid program in 2021, the study finds that patients missed and postponed medical care and experienced emotional distress when trying to seek essential care.

Sridhar writes, “Samuel Dickman, a physician with Planned Parenthood and an author of the study, said Planned Parenthood clinics had been a ‘lifeline’ to patients when they accepted Medicaid because of their inclusive space and flexibility in scheduling.”

The consequences were devastating for patients, including one quoted in the study who detailed what the loss of Planned Parenthood would mean for them: “A Planned Parenthood patient of over 20 years captured the feelings many other participants reported once they learned of the policy change, saying: ‘I was in shock. I was devastated. I actually felt comfortable with this doctor and now I have to start all over again. […] I felt very sad […] To find that again is going to be really hard.’”

Read the Daily Texan article here, read the full study here, and learn more about the FCA case here.
 

ALEXA, PLAY “I CARE” BY BEYONCE… CAUSE NIKKI ISN’T FOOLING ANYONE: Today, The Messenger’s Dan Merica reported on the gaping holes in Nikki Haley’s argument that voters should not care about her anti-abortion views because Congress doesn’t have the votes to pass a national ban. As Dan notes, her pivot “ignores how influential a president acting alone can be on the issue.” Jenny Lawson, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes, told Dan: 

“The idea that Americans shouldn't consider a presidential candidate's views on abortion when voting is absurd and nonsensical and the spin further proves that these candidates know they're on the wrong side, that they're stuck on the ropes and trying to get out of it. They are saying that about abortion because they know how out of touch their views are with the American public and they want to get out of it.”

Dan highlights several examples of how a Republican president can limit abortion rights and access to sexual and reproductive health care: 

President Joe Biden rescinded the global gag rule on abortion as one of his first acts as president, allowing federal funding to go to foreign non-governmental organizations that work in abortion policy. A president also impacts abortion policy by making judicial appointments, something that was made clear during the Trump presidency when his three appointments to the Supreme Court all voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. And then there is funding for abortion programs, something the president has significant influence on.

Haley is on the record saying she would sign a national abortion ban if elected and given the opportunity. 

Read more at The Messenger here. 
 

THE KEY TO THE MATERNAL MORTALITY CRISIS? MORE BLACK MIDWIVES: The U.S. has a maternal mortality crisis on its hands, with the country’s maternal mortality rate far higher than other high-income countries. As a first step to reversing this alarming trend, maternal health experts are advocating for expanding the midwife workforce. Research has shown that labor and delivery assisted by midwives is associated with better outcomes. Currently, only 12% of births are attended by midwives. 

The shortage of midwives is far worse across racial demographics. Over 90% of midwives in the U.S. are white — less than 5% are Black. With research showing better outcomes when a patient and provider share the same racial background, many experts agree the lack of Black maternal health care providers may be one factor contributing to the stark racial disparities within the maternal mortality crisis. Black women are nearly three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. 

However, the shortage and lack of diversity among midwives is also proving difficult to address as it is a self-perpetuating trend. With fewer midwives on the job, there are fewer opportunities for incoming students to shadow and receive adequate training. 

Read more from STAT here.