Liz brown, Deputy Director of the Ohio Democratic Party sent out this email Tuesday:
“Even after thousands of Ohioans signed petitions to tell John Kasich and his ideological, extremist GOP allies in the Statehouse to shut down their attacks on women’s preventive health, they’re back.
Right now, Statehouse Republicans are fast-tracking a bill that could defund Planned Parenthood and the important work they do on cancer screenings, HIV testing, and birth control.”
According to Dayton Daily News,
Legislators last month removed a plan to include the funding changes in a budget bill, but now the plan has returned in House Bill 298, which is pending before the House Health Committee.
The bill calls for setting up a ranking system that would put certain health care providers last in line for federal family planning money. The ranking would be as follows:
- Local health departments;
- Community health centers;
- Private doctors who provide comprehensive care as well as family planning services.
- Centers that only deliver family planning services.
Now compare the tiering system to Ohio family planning provider statistics; according to the Guttmacher Institute:
These centers provided contraceptive care to the following numbers of clients:
- Health department clinics: 11,360
- Community health centers: 1,570
- Hospital outpatient clinics: 13,940
- Other independent clinics: 24,980
- Planned Parenthood clinics: 68,300
“Title X–supported centers provided contraceptive care to 103,300 women in Ohio in 2008.
Of the total contraceptive clients served by these centers, 68% had incomes at or below the federal poverty level…”
And according to Guttmacher:
“In the absence of these services, the number of unintended pregnancies in Ohio would be 21% higher, and the number of abortions would be 31% higher.”
An article by the Dayton Daily News cited another Guttmacher study that found:
“About 62 percent of unintended births were publicly funded, primarily through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The cost to Ohio taxpayers was $479 million…”
Ohio’s City Beat, reports that yesterday:
“Planned Parenthood advocates and supporters packed a hearing room in Columbus…to demonstrate opposition against controversial House Bill 298…
Rep. Nicki Antonio (D-Lakewood) expressed her concern for bill supporters’ motivation, noting, “The proposed defunding bill is is a move based on ideology, not on practical needs of Ohioans…There are many counties in Ohio without alternatives to PP. It’s a ‘Health Care Desert…”
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