Other Voices
Planned Parenthood is not the key to women’s health in Texas
Texas and Planned Parenthood have been at odds for some time, and the organization is now playing the victim once again because funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings will be diverted from abortion providers, effective Sept. 1.
A tiered funding system will now give priority to public and community-based clinics that provide these services for low-income women.
Planned Parenthood and its supporters have made claims that the state is “trying to put Planned Parenthood out of business” by pulling money for cancer screenings. They also claim thousands of women will not have access to care because Texas “targets poor and uninsured women.”
The organization is touting itself as the only option for under-served women seeking health and family planning care. I must strongly refute this claim.
To be clear, there are two separate discussions going on here. One is that of using taxpayer dollars to support abortion-providing organizations. The other is investing in access to women’s healthcare for certain populations.
Over the last month, there has been a hardline discussion about halting all public funds to Planned Parenthood, both locally and nationally, because of its deplorable practice of selling fetal tissue.
This defunding has largely already happened in Texas. Since 2011, the Legislature has restricted tax dollars from going to abortion providers for women’s health services.
Funding has been redirected via the Texas Women’s Health Program to clinics that care for adult female populations and do not provide abortions.
The TWHP provides well-woman exams, family planning and cancer screenings for low-income and uninsured women and receives no money from the federal government.
Texas has made a conscious effort to support women’s health, as evidenced by the 84th Legislature appropriating $261 million to the cause for fiscal years 2016-2017, an increase of more than $50 million from the previous budget.
In addition, poor and uninsured women have the option to seek care at federally qualified health centers. The notable FQHC program began in 1991 as part of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initiative to provide safety-net healthcare options for under-served urban and rural communities.
FQHCs operate through community health centers. Currently, there are 71 federally qualified health centers in Texas that operate more than 400 stand-alone community health centers or clinics.
These clinics are spread throughout the state, including several in West Texas, the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso. Many partner with the state’s Texas Women’s Health Program to leverage funding for services to women.
Let’s say, hypothetically, that the Legislature’s intent is to put Planned Parenthood out of business as the organization claims.
In its 2013 IRS Form 990, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas reported total income of $33,922,566. Of that amount, $1,353,826 came from government grants.
As the organization is classified as a nonprofit, it also receives millions in grant funding from private sources and individuals, as well as support from its own national organization and program fees from services provided.
Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas have not received any significant amounts of funding from the state since 2011 and are still going strong. They will not go out of business because the state withdrew its nominal support in the area of cancer screenings.
Abortion providers, like Planned Parenthood, are not the end-all, be-all for women’s healthcare in Texas. FQHCs and their community health centers provide much-needed healthcare for women and greatly outnumber abortion providers in Texas.
I am proud of our state leadership’s commitment to meeting the healthcare needs of our adult female population through the Texas Women’s Health Program while following the public’s desire to not send taxpayer dollars to abortion-providing centers.
State Sen. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, represents District 10, including parts of Fort Worth and Northeast Tarrant County.
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