Rodríguez: Planned Parenthood lawsuit stands up for women’s health

RODRÍGUEZ RESPONDS TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD FILING SUIT AGAINST TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION

AUSTIN — Today, state Senator José Rodríguez released the following statement in response to Planned Parenthood’s suit against the state in federal court.

Senator Rodríguez’s statement is as follows:

“This morning, eight Planned Parenthood affiliates from across the state filed a federal lawsuit against Texas’ Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to stop the enforcement of an unconstitutional rule that threatens access to health care for tens of thousands of low-income women. The lawsuit argues that it is unconstitutional to block Planned Parenthood from participating in the Women’s Health Program (WHP).

“I am pleased to see Planned Parenthood standing up to protect the health of tens of thousands of Texas women.

“As I stated nearly two months ago, I was extremely disappointed in HHSC Executive Commissioner Suehs’ ruling, which state leaders knew would likely result in the end of Texas’ participation in the Women’s Health Program.

“Shortly after these administrative changes were proposed in August 2011, I wrote to Commissioner Suehs to urge him to withdraw these amendments as HHSC likely does not have sufficient authority to create a rule barring affiliates of abortion providers from participating in the WHP. In addition, the government cannot forbid qualified service providers from constitutionally protected conduct, something the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed in multiple rulings. Ultimately, I believe this ruling will be found unconstitutional by the courts.

“If allowed to stand, the actions taken by Commissioner Suehs, at the direction of Governor Perry, will lead to the loss of $35 million in federal funds and a dramatic cutback in health care services available in the state, especially considering that what remains of Texas’ safety net is already overburdened and shrinking.

“Until recently, the federal government paid 90 percent of the cost of the Women’s Health Program and the state paid the remaining 10 percent. From 2007 to 2010, the state spent a total of $6,740,840 on the Women’s Health Program. Over the same time period, the estimated net savings to the state were $87,840,258, according to estimates provided by HHSC. Spending $7 million to save $88 million is a great investment.

“Nonetheless, state leaders continue to conflate contraception with abortion and spread myths, while sidestepping the fact that one in four women in Texas have no health insurance at all. Here are the facts: the Women’s Health Program provides contraception, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and other basic health services to uninsured low-income Texas women. It does not provide abortions.

“Nearly half of Women’s Health Program clients receive services through Planned Parenthood, which does not provide abortions at WHP clinics. As the single largest provider of care within the WHP, Planned Parenthood providers have been critical to the program’s success.

“At the end of 2009, El Paso lost one of its primary sources of affordable reproductive health care – Planned Parenthood. In the year following their closure, roughly 900 women and men lost health care and the rate of chlamydia increased by 24 percent, the rate of gonorrhea increased by 56 percent, and the rate of HIV cases increased by 43 percent.

“Texas women don’t need their state government — whether it’s the Governor or the executive head of a state agency — to dictate where they can get their Pap tests, mammograms or birth control.”