Texas Loses Entire Women's Health Program Over Planned Parenthood Law
 

The Department of Health and Human Services announced on Thursday that it will cut off all Medicaid funding for family planning to the state of Texas, following Gov. Rick Perry's (R) decision to implement a new law that excludes Planned Parenthood from the state's Medicaid Women's Health Program.

Cindy Mann, director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CMSO), wrote Texas health officials a letter on Thursday explaining that the state broke federal Medicaid rules by discriminating against qualified family planning providers and thus would be losing the entire program, which provides cancer screenings, contraceptives and basic health care to 130,000 low-income women each year.

"We very much regret the state's decision to implement this rule, which will prevent women enrolled in the program from receiving services from the trusted health care providers they have chosen and relied upon for their care," she wrote. "In light of Texas' actions, CMS is not in a position to extend or renew the current [Medicaid contract]."

The federal government pays for nearly 90 percent of Texas' $40 million Women's Health Program, and nearly half of the program's providers in Texas are Planned Parenthood clinics. But the new law that went into effect earlier this month disqualified Planned Parenthood from participating in the program because some of its clinics provide abortions, even though no state or federal money can be used to pay for those abortions.

According to Medicaid law, Mann said, a state cannot restrict women's ability to choose a provider simply because that provider offers separate services -- in this case, abortion -- that aren’t even paid for by the Medicaid program.

Perry wrote a letter to President Obama earlier this month accusing his administration of "mandating which health providers the state of Texas must use" in order to "continue to support abortion providers like Planned Parenthood." He vowed to continue the Women's Health Program in Texas without Planned Parenthood and without federal money, although he has yet to outline how his state will come up with money.

But an HHS spokesperson told reporters on Thursday that this was not Obama's decision and that the administration's hands are tied on the issue. “Medicaid law is very clear; a state may not restrict patients’ choice of providers of services like mammograms and other cancer screenings, if those providers are qualified to deliver care covered by Medicaid. Patients, not state government officials, should be able to choose the doctors and other health care providers that are best for them and their families. In 2005, Texas requested this same authority to restrict patients’ choices, and the Bush Administration did not grant it to them either.”

Texas Loses Entire Women's Health Program Over Planned Parenthood Law

WTF is with cutting and pasting shit without even the slightest hint of an original thought? Is it really that hard to have an opinion of your own on something?

You're asking Phil to think? That's a good one. :rofl::rofl:

We all know the libs get their thoughts from George Soros and Michael Moore.

His opinion is implied by his known bias. He doesn't need to state it for it to be known because we already know it.

To paraphrase his opinion... He supports the federal government using the welfare of women as a weapon to blackmail the state because the govenor is a republican :seasix:

Why be a dick? The guy just posted an article he found interesting.

Looks like some angry gals fubar'ed his facebook page. :lol:

Rick Perry's Facebook Gets Bombarded By Menstruation Questions

Misleading title.

There's a big difference between losing federal FUNDING for the program and losing the program.

The program will continue with $35M in State funds to circumvent the strings attached to the Federal money.

While true, there will now be $ 35M of Texas potholes that won't get filled.

Unlike the US govt., Texas has no printing press in the basement.

OK I'll compromise. Only democrats can use planned parenthood to kill babies.

Texas should cut off all federal income tax going to washington

So should all states and companies and citizens.....

a solid citizen uprising denying .gov tax revenues would go lots further than any gun uprising.....

take them out via the OS....Operating System....the net....

:lol::lol: