Women's March: Defend Planned Parenthood and Medicaid

Defend Planned Parenthood

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A recent post from the Women's March channel, titled "Defending Planned Parenthood," brought together leaders from key reproductive freedom organizations to discuss urgent threats to healthcare access in the United States.

Rachel Oli Carmona, Executive Director of Women's March, was joined by Alexis McGill Johnson, President of Planned Parenthood, and Mini Timmaraju, President of Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL). The conversation illuminated what it means to "defund Planned Parenthood," the far-reaching consequences of such actions, and what individuals can do to fight back.

The speakers emphasized that defunding Planned Parenthood does not mean taking away a direct grant from the federal government. Instead, it involves taking away the money that is given to Planned Parenthood providers, like other healthcare providers, as reimbursement for services rendered. Planned Parenthood healthcare centers are part of the public health infrastructure, providing basic sexual and reproductive healthcare, and often primary care. They serve millions of patients across the country.

Crucially, half of Planned Parenthood's patients are on Medicaid, using federal insurance designed to help people without regular access to health insurance through employers, spouses, or universities. Planned Parenthood serves as a safety net provider, and for many Medicaid recipients, it's the only place that accepts their insurance in numerous areas.

The push to defund Planned Parenthood gained recent prominence when Speaker Mike Johnson stated his intention at a dinner for Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), an anti-abortion political action committee. This is characterized by the speakers as a move by rapidly extremist individuals who oppose access to care, desire abortion bans, and support fake pregnancy centers. Speaker Johnson is described as an "activist evangelical right-wing extremist," and his pronouncement is seen as revealing their true budget intentions.

The consequences of taking away funding, estimated to be $700 million from Planned Parenthood, would be devastating. This is a significant part of their budget. It would lead to limited access to care, more self-pay requirements, and the closure of health centers. This would impact millions of patients who rely on Planned Parenthood for essential services like STI tests, contraception, wellness checkups, and breast exams. Closing health centers would also mean losing the trust built in communities over generations.

Moreover, the speakers highlighted that the attack on Planned Parenthood funding is deeply connected to a broader attack on Medicaid. Taking away $700 million is part of a larger effort considering gutting Medicaid at large. Medicaid supports over 70 million people and funds a wide range of healthcare services beyond Planned Parenthood, including care provided by rural hospitals, resident and fellow training, support for students in school districts, elder care, and hospice care. In Arizona, for example, Medicaid funds 50% of births and plays a role in maternal mortality rates.

Gutting Planned Parenthood and Medicaid would have catastrophic effects on the entire healthcare ecosystem. Other systems, already overburdened, could not absorb the millions of Planned Parenthood patients. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are specifically mentioned as unable to absorb the patient load or provide the same level of expertise and non-judgmental care.

Rebuilding healthcare access and community trust after closures takes an "incredible amount of time". The situation in Texas is cited as an example, facing high rates of STIs and maternal mortality, and difficulty finding OBGYNs, illustrating the fragility of existing healthcare access.

The political moment is critical. The defunding is being considered through the reconciliation bill process in Congress, specifically by the Energy and Commerce subcommittee. The goal is to finalize this bill by Memorial Day.

Given this urgent timeline, the speakers issued a strong call to action: "there is no cavalry," and defending these services is up to the people. Individuals are urged to contact their members of Congress immediately via phone, email, or text. They must be clear: "You are not going to defund Planned Parenthood. You're not going to cut Medicaid". Sharing personal stories about how Planned Parenthood or Medicaid has impacted their lives is especially powerful. Resources and ways to engage can be found at I'mforPP.org.

Beyond individual action, people are encouraged to tell their friends and family, help them understand the connection between Medicaid cuts and local clinics, share their own stories, and urge them to call their representatives. The speakers emphasized that the majority of Americans support Planned Parenthood and reproductive freedom, and that collective "people power" is the best power. The time to act is now, not later.