Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Easier Said Than Done: A Look At How Complicated It Is To Defund Planned Parenthood
Kaiser Health News: GOP Vows To Defund Planned Parenthood. Reality Makes That Hard.
Just as Republicans are discovering that undoing the health law could be complicated, so, too, is separating the controversial reproductive health care provider from its federal funding. Efforts to hastily jettison Planned Parenthood from federal ledgers could actually jeopardize GOP efforts to repeal the health law. One problem is that Planned Parenthood gets its funding from several different government sources. According to the group’s most recent annual report, covering 2015, Planned Parenthood affiliates, got $553.7 million from federal, state, and local governments, accounting for almost half of total funding. (Rovner, 1/17)
Iowa Public Radio: Planned Parenthood Warns That Defunding Will Create Healthcare Vacuum
The Republican-controlled Iowa statehouse aims to limit abortion access by cutting off public funding to Iowa’s 12 Planned Parenthood clinics, which serve a reported 26,000 patients. Lawmakers say they’ll fund sexual and reproductive healthcare services provided by organizations other than Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. But the healthcare organization said in a conference call this morning this will create a vacuum for critical services. (Boden, 1/13)
