Commentary

Statement by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, on Rep. Paul Ryan’s Budget Proposal


NEW YORK—(ENEWSPF)—March 21, 2012.  “As a trusted health care provider to one in five women, Planned Parenthood strongly opposes Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposal because it jeopardizes access to basic health care.

“Rep. Ryan’s effort to overhaul Medicaid would undermine women’s health by completely dismantling the Medicaid program, a key public health program that provides basic health care and family planning to millions of women, including well-woman exams, lifesaving cancer screenings, and contraceptive services.

“Rep. Ryan’s proposal would gut the essential protections of Medicaid, opening the door for states to completely eliminate the family planning services it provides.  This would result in millions of women potentially losing access to basic preventive health care.

“Rep. Ryan’s budget overlooks the fact that investing in family planning actually helps reduce the deficit.  Studies show that for every public dollar invested in family planning programs, taxpayers save nearly $4.

“The Ryan budget further jeopardizes access to basic health care by proposing to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA), taking away important benefits that Americans already enjoy.

“The ACA is the biggest advance in women’s health in a generation.  It is groundbreaking legislation that promotes the health of women by ensuring coverage of preventive care, such as lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, and immunizations, with no co-pays; ends discriminatory practices against women, such as charging women higher premiums and denying coverage for ‘pre-existing conditions’; and expands coverage for young adults by allowing them to stay on their parents’ health plan until age 26; among many other benefits.

“Rep. Ryan’s proposal to repeal ACA would mean more women would be uninsured, women would lose ACA’s important protection against unfair discriminatory practices, and women would be forced to pay more for health care and get less for their money than men.

“Rep. Ryan’s budget is simply the latest attack on women’s health, and as more Americans learn about it, they will reject it.”

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved. Planned Parenthood affiliates operate nearly 800 health centers nationwide, providing medical services and sexuality education for millions of women, men, and teenagers each year. We also work with allies worldwide to ensure that all women and men have the right and the means to meet their sexual and reproductive health care needs.

Source: plannedparenthood.org


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