Family Planning Advocates Urges 'More Strategic' Budget Cuts; Rejection of Governor's Plan

• by Family Planning Advocates of NYS

ALBANY, NY (10/21/2009)(readMedia)-- In testimony before the Assembly Ways and Means Committee this morning, FPA President and CEO M. Tracey Brooks told lawmakers, "We understand that family planning programs must shoulder some of the burden of the state's financial crisis. However, there is a better way to reduce state expenses and preserve vital programs than currently proposed."

The proposed reductions directly compromise access to vital primary and preventative health care services, Brooks said. The family planning community wants to partner with the state to identify more strategic cuts that preserve core services within the state's budget constraints while maintaining access to vital care for the state's most needy.

"You have heard us say, over and over that, for every one dollar spent on family planning care, four dollars are saved," Brooks told the committee. "What you haven't heard us say often enough, is that for every Medicaid dollar New York spends on family planning services, the federal government reimburses the state 90 cents."

"It makes no sense for the state to cut Medicaid family planning dollars that have a federal match of 90/10," she stressed.

If funding to family planning services is cut as laid out in the Governor's proposal, it will end up costing the state money and reduce access to vital health programs needed to preserve public health and safety, according to Brooks.

Since the August 2008 state budget cuts, family planning health centers have made concerted efforts to cut their costs, including staff and benefit reductions. "We want to avoid budget cuts that would result in a loss of medical staff or clinical hours which would have a direct impact on patients," Brooks stressed.

Family planning centers meet a vital need for health care throughout the state, providing such critical services as:

cancer screenings;

family planning counseling;

pregnancy testing;

prenatal care;

postpartum care;

health education; and

treatment and counseling for sexually transmitted infections and diseases.

Clients are primarily young women of child-bearing age in underserved communities. Although, since the economic downturn, FPA member health care centers have reported an increase in women over 40 who have lost their health insurance.

In one recent month, Brooks said, Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson saw a 12 percent increase in patients and a $120,000 revenue loss. This is a direct result of an increase in the number of patients without health insurance who qualify for the lower level of sliding scale subsidized care. "Obviously, this model is not sustainable," Brooks told the committee.

It is not rational to harm core programs that result in cost savings to the state or to cut funds that come with a 90 percent federal match. We all know New York cannot spend as it has in the past, and we want to work with the state to come up with a reasonable solution.

"We urge you to reject the Governor's cuts to family planning and work with us to find a sustainable solution that supports the need for a reduction in spending and preserves core family planning care services in New York State," Brooks concluded.

, FPA President and CEO M. Tracey Brooks told lawmakers, "We understand that family planning programs must shoulder some of the burden of the state's financial crisis. However, there is a better way to reduce state expenses and preserve vital programs than currently proposed."

The proposed reductions directly compromise access to vital primary and preventative health care services, Brooks said. The family planning community wants to partner with the state to identify more strategic cuts that preserve core services within the state's budget constraints while maintaining access to vital care for the state's most needy.

"You have heard us say, over and over that, for every one dollar spent on family planning care, four dollars are saved," Brooks told the committee. "What you haven't heard us say often enough, is that for every Medicaid dollar New York spends on family planning services, the federal government reimburses the state 90 cents."

"It makes no sense for the state to cut Medicaid family planning dollars that have a federal match of 90/10," she stressed.

If funding to family planning services is cut as laid out in the Governor's proposal, it will end up costing the state money and reduce access to vital health programs needed to preserve public health and safety, according to Brooks.

Since the August 2008 state budget cuts, family planning health centers have made concerted efforts to cut their costs, including staff and benefit reductions. "We want to avoid budget cuts that would result in a loss of medical staff or clinical hours which would have a direct impact on patients," Brooks stressed.

Family planning centers meet a vital need for health care throughout the state, providing such critical services as:

cancer screenings;

family planning counseling;

pregnancy testing;

prenatal care;

postpartum care;

health education; and

treatment and counseling for sexually transmitted infections and diseases.

Clients are primarily young women of child-bearing age in underserved communities. Although, since the economic downturn, FPA member health care centers have reported an increase in women over 40 who have lost their health insurance.

In one recent month, Brooks said, Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson saw a 12 percent increase in patients and a $120,000 revenue loss. This is a direct result of an increase in the number of patients without health insurance who qualify for the lower level of sliding scale subsidized care. "Obviously, this model is not sustainable," Brooks told the committee.

It is not rational to harm core programs that result in cost savings to the state or to cut funds that come with a 90 percent federal match. We all know New York cannot spend as it has in the past, and we want to work with the state to come up with a reasonable solution.

"We urge you to reject the Governor's cuts to family planning and work with us to find a sustainable solution that supports the need for a reduction in spending and preserves core family planning care services in New York State," Brooks concluded.