It is clear that this is a hot button issue right now, and as such, we wanted to provide even more material for the discussion. Yesterday I received this press release, and I wanted to pass it along. I find it fascinating that our own Russ Feingold has taken such a leadership position on something like this, and applaud his effort.
They say that we need leaders in this time in America, and maybe Russ is just that guy. At least we know he acts on conscience. He is a home grown boy, who seems to speak his mind.
WFPRHA
Wisconsin Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
719 North Third Ave., Wausau, WI 54401
(715)675-9858 – fax (715)675-5475email NewmanL@FPHS.org
December 7, 2007
Contact: Jackie Bodden, President (608) 348-9766
Lon Newman, Public Affairs Chair (715) 675-9858 ext 329Family Planning Association Joins Feingold in Call to Protect Women’s Health Program
The Wisconsin Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (WFPRHA) expressed gratitude to Senator Russ Feingold today for joining Senators and Representatives from 26 states to make Medicaid- provided family planning services more readily and easily available.In a letter written by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), legislators from states which currently provide family planning services through Medicaid 1115 Family Planning Waivers, including Wisconsin, requested that House and Senate leadership act immediately to ease the regulatory burden being imposed on states who seek to offer these services.
Approximately 75,000 Wisconsin women are currently enrolled in the state’s Medicaid Family Planning Waiver program which is set to expire on December 31st, 2007. WFPRHA president, Jackie Bodden, expressed her appreciation to Senator Feingold and called on the rest of the Wisconsin delegation to support this effort to streamline the process. “Because of this program, women across Wisconsin have better access to health care. But right now, the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services is locked in an 11th hour do-or-die negotiation process with an administration whose antagonism toward family planning programs is well-demonstrated. That process is needlessly putting the health care of tens
of thousands of women at risk. Senators Feingold and Clinton deserve our thanks and our support for their efforts to protect women’s health by providing preventive primary health care.”In the joint letter to House and Senate Leadership, legislators described the approval process Wisconsin is currently going through:
Unfortunately, the current waiver process has proven increasingly unworkable. Over the last
decade, only seven of the 20 proposals for income-based eligibility expansions approved by CMS have been approved within a year of when they were submitted by the state. Six applications took between one and two years for approval, and seven languished for two years or more before finally being approved. Particularly given the well-established value of these demonstrations, the current approval and re-approval required under federal law wastes critical staff resources, hamstrings states’ ability to meet changing needs, and limits our efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies and meet reproductive health needs in our states.WFPRHA Public Affairs Chair, Lon Newman, said that Senator Feingold’s joint call to action could not be more timely or more necessary. Newman said that Wisconsin’s Family Planning Waiver prevents more costly Medicaid-paid births by preventing unintended pregnancies. “Wisconsin taxpayers save an estimated $12 million annually through this program,” he said, “and the Congressional Budget Office has estimated an annual federal savings of up to $400 million by providing better access to preventive primary health care…better health care for less money – it’s hard to beat that.”
Bodden said “WFPRHA is asking Wisconsin’s federal legislators and Governor Doyle to join Senator Feingold and Senator Clinton’s call to the leadership to sustain programs like Wisconsin’s Medicaid Family Planning Waiver and to extend those services to all 50 states and territories.”
Newman added: “Under Senator Clinton and Feingold’s proposal, the states would have flexibility to design their family planning programs. In Wisconsin, we have a proven program that deserves to be continued.”
joyinthejourney
9:55 am on December 11th
“Wisconsin’s Family Planning Waiver prevents more costly Medicaid-paid births by preventing unintended pregnancies.”
a.k.a. abortion
Dino Corvino
10:36 am on December 11th
I am sorry Joy. That is simply not the case.
Erik Cieslewicz
12:59 pm on December 11th
Yeah, I’m not quite sure how you made that jump, Joy. The sentence you quoted is talking about how much money the birthing process costs in things like medical fees. Any birth is a costly endeavor, and if they are unplanned, many people will not be ready for that financial burden and will turn to Medicaid to support them and help pay for it.
The average abortion procedure costs around $350 to $600 while the delivery process costs get up into the $6,000 to $7,000 range. So I’m really not sure what point you’re trying to make. Maybe if you expanded a bit that would help us out.
joyinthejourney
8:33 am on December 12th
In my humble opinion, I believe that Wisconsin Family Planning focuses upon referring women to abortion service providers instead of helping them make wiser choices before they engage in risky behavior like sex before marriage.
Even though an abortion appears to cost less in the short run, the emotional fallout from the procedure in the long run is way higher than $7K.
Just because an idea or an act is legal in the eyes of the state, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a sin. Abortion is one of those acts.
Erik Cieslewicz
9:16 am on December 12th
If it is your opinion, there’s little I can do to argue against that. Having an opinion is like writing a check, anyone can write one. But I know that if I tried to write the one you’re passing, I would get a NSF notice from my bank. I just can’t agree with you in the slightest, Joy.
Dino Corvino
12:53 pm on December 12th
Thats not what it does at all Joy.
Tom Neal
1:54 pm on December 12th
Joy …
Not all abortions are connected to the “sex before marriage” scenario you mention. Some involve sex in marriage, pregnancy after death or departure of a spouse, birth control failure, incest, rape. It’s not good debate practice or fair to over-generalize.
Potential for emotional fallout? “Yes” in lots of cases. “No” in lots of cases (some people aren’t that empathetic or prone to feeling guilt). You can’t ascribe your mindset to everyone else, and you’re no mind reader.
Abortion is sin? How an individual accepts what is sin and what isn’t is tied to his or her own religious and subjective opinion. I can easily say that owning a Hummer is sin or supporting the war in Iraq is sin or using birth control pills is sin or women cutting their hair is sin, and a Bible scholar could could back those claims up with scripture if pressed (you can really back up anything with scripture if you have a mind to).
“Family Planning” in your view may be a euphemism for pro-abortion activism. In fact, such organizations are focused on prevention of STDs, promotion of reproductive health and effective birth control, being a resource to all women of all social strata, as well as providing counsel for those who are faced with unintended pregnancies. Even though you prefer the pro-life position, and that’s your choice, you might give these organizations credit for the other things they do that are more likely to fall in line with your views as a woman.
Jim Carlson
2:17 pm on December 12th
Joy – Forgive me for being naive, but it seems that ‘preventing unintended pregnancies’ and ‘terminating unintended pregnancies’ mean two completely different things. Do you have any data to support that ‘preventing unintended pregnancies’ resulted in abortion?
Also, you state that Family Planning was ‘referring women to abortion service providers instead of helping them make wiser choices before they engage in risky behavior like sex before marriage’.
* Do you have any data on the marital status of the 75,000 Wisconsin women are currently enrolled in the state’s Medicaid Family Planning Waiver program?
* Am I to believe that only unmarried women are in need of the reproductive health services that are covered under the waiver program?
* Do you have data indicating the numbers of women that Family Planning has referred to abortion service providers under this program?
Please help me understand your position.
joyinthejourney
4:22 pm on December 12th
Neither side of the abortion issue is here to have their mind changed. We will have to agree to disagree here.
You are all very intelligent and I admire the maturity you are displaying in writing your answers instead of yelling and screaming at me for disagreeing.
I’m looking forward to rejoining the discussion on a different topic in the future.
Love,
Joy
Tom Neal
4:40 pm on December 12th
Most wonderful comment, Joy. A very tough issue, and sorry for the pun, not a source of joy for either side. I look forward to your future CW posts; I’m sure we’ll fall on the same side of something or other. Best for the holidays!
Dino Corvino
4:54 pm on December 12th
I think Jim Carlson asked some good questions. You realize though this is not the abortion issue as some are fond of framing it as. This is instead about access to health care in fair and equitable ways.