Pace’s Health Connection Announces Potential Cuts to the Title X Program
2/14/2011
Pace’s Health Connection Announces Potential Cuts to the Title X Program
The House Appropriates Committee has announced a list of proposed cuts to Fiscal Year 2011 Funding, including the elimination of the Title X family planning program and severe cuts to other programs that promote public health. Pace Health Connection is one local provider that would be seriously impacted by these potential cuts.
With locations in Vincennes, Washington and Terre Haute, Health Connection is a Title X family planning clinic that provides services to low and moderate income women and men, many whom may otherwise lack access to health care. Services provided include comprehensive reproductive healthcare, cancer screening, breast examinations, contraception, as well as screening and treatment for a variety of public health diseases. Health Connection also provides education, information and referrals for quality preventative care to countless others on an annual basis.
Cutting Title X funding would limit access to health services that the public health community resoundingly agrees saves money and promotes health to thousands of our community members. The information below shows how Title X funding has affected our community in the past:
- For 40 years, family planning services and supplies provided through Title X-funded health centers have prevented unintended pregnancies, improved public health and saved billions in taxpayer dollars.
- Pace provides testing and treatment for specific sexually transmitted infections. We are the only local agency in Knox and Daviess County to provide these services within a 50 mile radius.
- In 2010, 2,550 (79%) of our customers were uninsured (no public or private health insurance).
- Unplanned teen pregnancy is an important public health and social issue. In the United States, 31 percent of teenage girls get pregnant at least once before age 20, and nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned and unintended.More than 750,000 teenagers become pregnant each year. Reproductive healthcare is essential for teenagers. Health Connection has a mission to decrease the rate of unintended pregnancies by educating the public about child-spacing and family planning services. Education is vital in this equation.
- The high cost of medical care, lack of transportation, and low-income levels make private physician offices and Planned Parenthood clinics too expensive and inconvenient for our customers to obtain services and contraception.
- In 2007 the Indiana State Department of Health showed Knox County as the county with the greatest number of high-risk indicators for teenage pregnancy. Vigo County was listed as a high risk with Daviess County listed a medium risk.
- For every public dollar invested in family planning care, nearly $4.78 in Medicaid expenditures in Indiana is averted [Source: Guttmacher Institute].
Cutting Title X funding could harm millions of families across the country, including 3,210 in this community. If you would like to help educate the members of Congressabout the devastating impact the defunding of Title X would have on your local community, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected with your elected officials.
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