Texas cut funding from PP

[pixy0stix]

www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/texas-planned-parenthood_5625029be4b08589ef480e0c?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission notified Planned Parenthood on Monday that it will terminate the reproductive health provider's Medicaid contract. The move is a response to the sting videos created by an anti-abortion group that showed the organization's staff members discussing the donation of fetal tissue to medical researchers.

In the letter, Texas accuses Planned Parenthood of violating the terms of the Medicaid contract, citing three claims from the videos: that Planned Parenthood alters the timing or method of abortions in order to procure tissue for donation, that it does not follow proper safety precautions and that it failed to properly train its staff in "infection control and barrier precautions."

"We have begun terminating your enrollment because, based on the evidence outlined below, you are Liable, directly or by affiliation, for a series of serious Medicaid program violations," the letter reads. "The State has determined that you and your Planned Parenthood affiliates are no longer capable of performing medical services in a professionally competent, safe, legal, and ethical manner."

The letter does not specifically say which sting video it is referring to in its claims about Planned Parenthood's conduct. However, one of the videos is partially shot at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Houston. The video shows two actors, who are using fake driver's licenses to pose as research executives, going on a tour of the clinic to investigate fetal tissue donation.

Planned Parenthood's affiliate in Texas has repeatedly stated that none of its clinics participate in fetal tissue donation programs. In 2010, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast collaborated with the University of Texas Medical Branch, a publicly funded hospital, on a miscarriage study that involved fetal tissue.

Moreover, accepting reimbursements for the donation of fetal tissue for medical research is legal if the reimbursement covers the cost of processing and transferring the tissues. Even so, Planned Parenthood announced last week that it would cease accepting such payments at the only center where the organization had been getting reimbursed. Just one other center in the country engages in a fetal tissue donation program, but no reimbursement payments are made there. Numerous state and federal investigations have failed to show that the provider has engaged in any illegal activity.

“What's happening today in Texas should be a national scandal," said Dawn Laguens, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "It is completely outrageous that Texas officials are using these thoroughly discredited, fraudulent videos to cut women off from preventive health care, including cancer screenings, HIV testing, and birth control. This smear campaign has been completely discredited because the claims are completely false."

A number of other states have moved to cut Planned Parenthood out of their Medicare contracts or to cease directing federal funds for family planning services, cancer screenings and STI tests to the organization.

Planned Parenthood recently sued Louisiana for attempting to end its Medicaid contract. On Monday, the Department of Justice sided with the health care provider: A federal judge blocked the state's effort, arguing that a termination of the contract would violate federal law by hurting low-income patients.

Texas claimed in its letter Monday that ending Planned Parenthood's contract won't affect access to health care because "there are thousands of alternate providers in Texas, including federally qualified health centers, Medicaid-certified rural health clinics, and other health care providers across the State that participate in the Texas Women’s Health Program and Medicaid."

In 2013, Texas barred Planned Parenthood from participating in the state’s Women's Health Program. The program served 30,000 fewer women after Planned Parenthood's exclusion, and the biggest drops in patients served occurred in areas where a Planned Parenthood clinic was forced to close.

This year, Texas went further, barring Planned Parenthood from providing services to low-income Texans who receive cancer screenings and treatment through the state’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Screenings program.

[pixy0stix]

But no, really, tell me how great TX is.

Y'know, the TX that has cut off a majority of abortion services, forcing women to travel out of state.

The TX that has now cut off funding for the poorer community to obtain women's services.

And let's not forget the TX that, literally, whitewashed the history books to remove slavery.

Or the TX that claimed the United fucking States of America was declaring war on it.

What the HELL are you doing down there?

[LeggsBenedict]

can I reuse this from the other thread?

[darnkatz]

[turboteal]

Oct 19, 2015 16:56:47 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

But no, really, tell me how great TX is.

Y'know, the TX that has cut off a majority of abortion services, forcing women to travel out of state.

The TX that has now cut off funding for the poorer community to obtain women's services.

And let's not forget the TX that, literally, whitewashed the history books to remove slavery.

Or the TX that claimed the United fucking States of America was declaring war on it.

What the HELL are you doing down there?

Trying to change it from the inside? Also, I was born here, raised here, work here, and all my family lives here. I care about this state and hope it will get better.


Louisiana did this same thing recently, and a court just blocked that move today. It's temporary I think, but hopefully this kind of action will be found illegal and completely blocked. What a ridiculous waste of money for the states/courts/taxpayers, though, and a disaster for the patients in the meantime.

[heyjude]

I feel so bad for my sister who will be moving there in a year. Maybe she will be part of the TX blue wave?

[SwimDeep]

Oct 19, 2015 17:07:00 GMT -5 Dig Ophelia said:

The fuck, Texas? You keep raising the bar on backwards thinking.


So, this is a tough one.

Texas or Florida. Texas or Florida? Which state would be the last place I'd ever want to move?

Still Mississippi for me.

[AJL]

Oct 19, 2015 16:56:47 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

But no, really, tell me how great TX is.

Y'know, the TX that has cut off a majority of abortion services, forcing women to travel out of state.

The TX that has now cut off funding for the poorer community to obtain women's services.

And let's not forget the TX that, literally, whitewashed the history books to remove slavery.

Or the TX that claimed the United fucking States of America was declaring war on it.

What the HELL are you doing down there?

Take this with the respect it's given, but note that I'm feeling a bit hot about this right now:

What are we doing down here? I lot of fucking work! Seriously, I get it. Texas sucks. We're the worst. Blah, blah, blah. But some of us live here and like it and know we have problems and we're trying to change them. There are lot of hard working, dedicated people who are trying to fight this stuff every.single.damn.day. Every day. It's hard. 

I take this shit-on-Texas stuff really fucking personally. You think we don't know what's going on here? You think we don't know the kind of shit politics, good-'ol-boy antics, white supremacy bullshit we're dealing with here? We know. 

You need to remember we're not all big hat wearing, cattle roping, gun totin', women hatin' assholes. Some of us - a lot of us - are working hard to change the status quo but we feel a bit like Sisyphus sometimes. I and many of my friends, former colleagues, and contacts are on the front lines making changes. 

This is a HUGE loss for us and we feel it. 

[pixy0stix]

I'm fed up with TX because what you do there effects ALL OF US. Those of us that CAN'T CONTROL what is happening in your state. Unlike some of the smaller states that can pull this shit and live in their little backwoods insulated bubble, you ladies in TX don't have that luxury. So yes, I'm pissed the fuck off that you're ruining it for everyone.

[josieposy]

Is it common to defund an organization based on allegations without an investigation?

[AJL]

Oct 19, 2015 17:19:51 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I'm fed up with TX because what you do there effects ALL OF US. Those of us that CAN'T CONTROL what is happening in your state. Unlike some of the smaller states that can pull this shit and live in their little backwoods insulated bubble, you ladies in TX don't have that luxury. So yes, I'm pissed the fuck off that you're ruining it for everyone.

I get it but you have to understand that as a life-long and extremely politically active resident of Texas, I take it really personally when someone who doesn't live here and see the day to day battle with this bullshit comes in a takes and shit all over our efforts. I know it's not about me, AJL, but I still take it personally.

If you think it's infuriating to you, put yourself in our shoes. But we're not leaving here. I'm not quitting this state. Change can and does happen. Sometimes it's just unbelievably, painfully, stupidly slow.

[NewOrleans]

TX is a third world country.

Everyone in here quitcher squabbling and donate to Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and/or the abortion fund assistance of your choice instead!

[WanderingWinoZ]

Yea, I don't think this is even getting anybody's attention down here and/or most people don't care.
It's kinda of like the US at large- the wingnuts are going crazy, only in Texas they are in control & can effect change. Nationally, they are just throwing a fit in Congress.

www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/10/19/texas_cuts_planned_parenthood_out_of_medicaid.html

The state’s action may not be legal. On Monday morning, a U.S. district judge in Louisiana temporarily blocked a similar effort, ruling that Medicaid patients risked irreparable harm if they couldn’t access Planned Parenthood’s services. Under federal law, states can’t ban organizations such as Planned Parenthood from Medicaid simply because they perform abortions—if they could have, Texas would have done it already. To kick a group out of a state Medicaid program, the state has to show fraud or criminality, and none of the investigations into Planned Parenthood sparked by the CMP videos have turned up any. So the inspector general’s effort should be stayed.
If it stands, however, it is unlikely to have much of an effect on Texas Planned Parenthood. The people who will be hurt are Texas’ poorest women.

That’s because government funding for Planned Parenthood in Texas has already been gutted. In 2011, the state cut Planned Parenthood out of its Medicaid Women’s Health Program, a joint federal-state program that covered many women who earned too much to qualify for ordinary Medicaid. Prior to that year, Planned Parenthood served almost half of the program’s 119,083 beneficiaries. In order to keep those women from using Planned Parenthood, Texas had to turn its back on federal matching funds of $9 for every $1 kicked in by the state—nearly $40 million. Texas also banned Planned Parenthood from its Breast and Cervical Cancer Services program.

Thus the only government funding that still goes to Planned Parenthood in Texas comes from those who qualify for ordinary Medicaid. And in Texas—which has the strictest standard in the country—that’s only families earning less than 19 percent of the federal poverty level, or $3,760 for a family of three. Childless adults don’t qualify at all. “It’s not going to be a big blow to Planned Parenthood,” says Joe Potter, a sociologist at the University of Texas at Austin and chief investigator for the Texas Policy Evaluation Project.* “They’ve already had their big blows.”

[WanderingWinoZ]

and Whoop- that took me to 500 posts! lol...

[jln]

Oct 19, 2015 17:11:59 GMT -5 heyjude said:

I feel so bad for my sister who will be moving there in a year. Maybe she will be part of the TX blue wave?

There are a lot more liberals here than people think!  But we need more. 

[jln]

I'm now a Texan and really fucking infuriated by this. Abbott does NOT represent the majority. I'm hoping that, like Louisiana, this will be overturned by a judge.

Although Texas gets shit on constantly, and definitely deserves it, there are lots of liberals here fighting to turn the state around. The Good 'Ol boy network is strong and it's a hard fight.

[jln]

Oct 19, 2015 21:44:49 GMT -5 toledo said:

Oct 19, 2015 21:40:12 GMT -5 jln said:

There are a lot more liberals here than people think!  But we need more. 

You guys need to spread out from Austin more.

I'm in Houston. 

[AJL]

Oct 19, 2015 21:44:49 GMT -5 toledo said:

Oct 19, 2015 21:40:12 GMT -5 jln said:

There are a lot more liberals here than people think!  But we need more. 

You guys need to spread out from Austin more.

We're fighting all over this state. There are plenty of Texans who hate what's going on, but we fight against the same problems progressives deal with at the federal level: powerful special interests, lobbies, and money. 

We can and will change things, but change takes time and until we're as powerful as the money shakers that have the ears of our legislators it's going to be a slow change.

[turboteal]

Oct 19, 2015 22:04:37 GMT -5 AJL said:

Oct 19, 2015 21:44:49 GMT -5 toledo said:

You guys need to spread out from Austin more.

We're fighting all over this state. There are plenty of Texans who hate what's going on, but we fight against the same problems progressives deal with at the federal level: powerful special interests, lobbies, and money. 

Plus gerrymandering like woah. That's really hard to change as an individual resident/voter. (Another Houston liberal checking in.)

[WanderingWinoZ]

another Houstonian ;0


This is what the gerry mandering looks like here...