The Obama administration said that Texas law would prevent women from receiving health care at the provider of their choice.
The administration's response: To cut funding so that now, the women have NO choice at all.
That makes a LOT of sense.
And then they have the &^%$ NERVE to say that Republicans are waging "war on women"?
If the oh-so-noble Democrats were concerned about women's health care, they would not have put their Abortion Politics ahead of the women served by this program.
"Republican war on women" my ass!
Obama cut federal aid to a low-income women's health program in Texas. But I'm supposed to believe that Republicans are waging a "war on women"???
JenSemPa
2012/04/08 12:35:23
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http://www.lifenews.com/2012/03/15/obama-kills-texas-womens-h...
The Obama administration made it official today when HHS officials
notified Texas authorities that the administration is killing a woman’s
health program because the state prohibited Planned Parenthood and
abortion businesses from involvement.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced today that it
will cut off all Medicaid funding for family planning to the state of
Texas following the state’s decision to implement a law Governor Rick
Perry signed that prohibits any business that does abortions from
participating and receiving tax dollars via the program.
Cindy Mann, director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CMSO), wrote Texas health officials today, according to
a Huffington post report, and claims Texas broke federal Medicaid rules
by discriminating against abortion businesses. In the letter, Mann
places the blame at the feet of Texas rather than the Obama
administration.
“We
very much regret the state’s decision to implement this rule, which
will prevent women enrolled in the program from receiving services from
the trusted health care providers they have chosen and relied upon for
their care,” she wrote. “In light of Texas’ actions, CMS is not in a
position to extend or renew the current [Medicaid contract].”
The letter continues, “Medicaid law is very clear; a state may not
restrict patients’ choice of providers of services like mammograms and
other cancer screenings, if those providers are qualified to deliver
care covered by Medicaid. Patients, not state government officials,
should be able to choose the doctors and other health care providers
that are best for them and their families. In 2005, Texas requested this
same authority to restrict patients’ choices, and the Bush
Administration did not grant it to them either.”
The state banned Planned Parenthood from participating in the program
along with any other agencies that do abortions. In response, Health
and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius traveled to Houston to
make the announcement that the Obama administration would cut funding of
the program and would no longer continue the waiver that Texas had
previously been given to continue funding of the program temporarily.
The Obama administration claims banning Planned Parenthood violates
the rules governing Medicaid while Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Texas
officials disagree and maintain rules for Medicaid allow states the
right to determine the qualifications necessary for those agencies
allowed to participate in the program, which serves approximately
130,000 low-income women in Texas and provides cancer screenings, family
planning and other health services to women.
The Obama administration made it official today when HHS officials
notified Texas authorities that the administration is killing a woman’s
health program because the state prohibited Planned Parenthood and
abortion businesses from involvement.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced today that it
will cut off all Medicaid funding for family planning to the state of
Texas following the state’s decision to implement a law Governor Rick
Perry signed that prohibits any business that does abortions from
participating and receiving tax dollars via the program.
Cindy Mann, director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CMSO), wrote
Texas health officials today, according to a Huffington post report,
and claims Texas broke federal Medicaid rules by discriminating against
abortion businesses. In the letter, Mann places the blame at the feet of
Texas rather than the Obama administration.
“We very much regret the state’s decision to implement this rule,
which will prevent women enrolled in the program from receiving services
from the trusted health care providers they have chosen and relied upon
for their care,” she wrote. “In light of Texas’ actions, CMS is not in a
position to extend or renew the current [Medicaid contract].”
The letter continues, “Medicaid law is very clear; a state may not
restrict patients’ choice of providers of services like mammograms and
other cancer screenings, if those providers are qualified to deliver
care covered by Medicaid. Patients, not state government officials,
should be able to choose the doctors and other health care providers
that are best for them and their families. In 2005, Texas requested this
same authority to restrict patients’ choices, and the Bush
Administration did not grant it to them either.”
The state banned Planned Parenthood from participating in the program
along with any other agencies that do abortions. In response, Health
and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius traveled to Houston to
make the announcement that the Obama administration would cut funding of
the program and would no longer continue the waiver that Texas had
previously been given to continue funding of the program temporarily.
The Obama administration claims banning Planned Parenthood violates
the rules governing Medicaid while Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Texas
officials disagree and maintain rules for Medicaid allow states the
right to determine the qualifications necessary for those agencies
allowed to participate in the program, which serves approximately
130,000 low-income women in Texas and provides cancer screenings, family
planning and other health services to women.
Gov. Perry told state officials on Thursday to begin searching for ways to continue funding the program.
“We’ll find the money. The state is committed to this program,” Perry
told reporters after sending a letter to Thomas Suehs, head of the
Texas Health and Human Services Commission, asking him to work with
legislators to find funding.
“Those people that are out there trying to say, ‘Oh they’re going to
kill this program’ are just dead wrong,” Perry said of the Women’s
Health Program on Thursday. He said the Obama administration is “trying
to support an organization that supports them. … But Texans don’t want
Planned Parenthood, a known abortion provider, to be involved in this.”
In a letter to President Barack Obama, Perry accused the
administration of trying to violate states’ rights “by mandating which
health providers the State of Texas must use.”
“I will not allow these services to be denied by your
administration’s political agenda and opposition to enacted Texas law
that prohibits abortion providers and their affiliates from receiving
taxpayer dollars,” the letter said.
In a statement to LifeNews after the Obama administration first
indicated it would make today’s decision, Family Research Council Action
expressed outrage at President Obama’s decision.
“President Obama made a vow when he was running for president that he
would stand by abortion giant Planned Parenthood – and that he has done
time and time again,” said FRC president Tony Perkins. “He has peppered
his administration with radical pro-abortion officials, and just last
year he threatened to shut down the whole government if one dollar of
federal money was halted to the billion-dollar organization. Now he is
willing to risk the health of 130,000 low-income women unless the
harbingers of death at Planned Parenthood get their share.”
“This administration needs to stop using women and the unborn as
pawns in funding President Obama’s radical allies. Some on the left
have said there is a ‘war on women’ – they are correct, and its lead
general is President Barack Obama,” he added.
Texas has applied to the Obama Administration for an extension of the
program through 2013, with the condition that no funding go to
organizations that perform or promote elective abortions or are
affiliated with such organizations. Of the more than 1,000 certified WHP
providers across the state, this rule excludes fewer than 100 Planned
Parenthood providers.
Joe Pojman of Texas Alliance for Life says,
“The State has an interest in not promoting abortion when it promotes
birth control. the fact that Planned Parenthood performs many thousands
of elective abortions every year in its 14 abortion facilities in Texas
was not lost on the Legislature. President Obama seems to care more
about Planned Parenthood than about women’s health.”
Last June the Texas Legislature overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 7,
which allows for the renewal of the WHP, on a Senate vote of 21-9 and a
House vote of 96-48. The bill prohibits the state from contracting with
entities that “perform or promote elective abortions or affiliate with
entities that perform or promote elective abortions.”
Federal law allows Texas to exclude Planned Parenthood. Texas
Attorney General Greg Abbott issued an opinion declaring that federal
law allows states to exclude abortion providers and their affiliated
organizations from Medicaid.
“There are ample alternate WHP providers in Texas who are not
involved in abortion. These physicians and clinics typically offer
comprehensive primary and preventative care in addition to family
planning. These providers could become the medical home for low-income
women. The Obama Administration is about to deny WHP funds to these
quality providers, and to the women they serve, just because Texas wants
to fund these without funding Planned Parenthood,” Pojman added.
“Planned Parenthood is a poor investment of public funds. Planned
Parenthood offers only a narrow range of services and is unwilling or
incapable of offering comprehensive primary and preventative care.
Planned Parenthood cannot treat breast cancer. They do not even have one
mammogram machine anywhere in Texas. The only time a woman will see a
doctor at Planned Parenthood is if she is there for an abortion. Women
deserve better,” he said.
It's not federal government's fault that Rick Perry and Texas legislature decided to pass laws that violate Medicaid rules. The funding is tied to following the rules and Texas representatives are well aware of the fact.
There are consequences to not following the rules.
State of Texas is not entitled to special treatment.
What concerns the question of who cares more about low-income women and their health services, one can always look at what measures Texas legislators have taken to insure the programs were funded prior to passing laws that violate Medicaid rules that would result in suspension of federal funding. Or at the percentage of federal funds to state funds that finance the programs in question, which are 9:1 and are a good example of the old saying of "putting one's money where their mouth is".
I do my own research and think for myself. You should try it some time, maybe you'll be able to come up with valid counter arguments instead of changing topic and making ad hominem attacks.
Speculation...No violation of Medicaid rules has yet been ultimately, finally proven with FACT..Especially at the time you made the comment.
And you say you don't like speculation...Ooookay.
You are no different than any other left-winger who demands he/she deals ONLY in fact.
But, you go ahead and keep thinking that..It is still fun to read all that fact-based self-righteousness.
oBAMA NEEDS TO BE OUT OF OFFICE BEFORE THE "sTORM tROOPERS" ARE IN PLACE. iT WILL COST MORE aMERICAN lIVES. tHAT WOULD PLEWASE THIS BUTCHER TO NO END
At the end of my life, I don't think I want to be associated with the wholesale slaughter of millions still in the womb.
Obama is denying aid to low income clinics in favor of the very few PP offices. Texas cares more about poor than Obama - He clearly hates poor women and has proven it with his actions
I myself second ProudProgressive... it WAS NOT Obama who cut the funding! It was the state of Texas!
"The Obama administration made it official today when HHS officials
notified Texas authorities that the administration is killing a woman’s
health program"
Key words--**THE ADMINISTRATION**--not the Texas government. That program was under the auspices of Medicaid....a *federally funded* program (Washington, not Texas.)
Obama is denying 100% of aid to poor because he wants to hurt the poor, there is no other reason. What a guy, he is really committed to helping poor, stopping all aid to poor is a really great step.
Perry and reps in Texas have said they will find a way to keep these over 1000 low income clinics open - They actually care about women and the poor. Bravo
Edit add: this from Texas Tribune: there are some 2,500 qualified providers in the WHP operating more than 4,600 locations. But there are only 44 Planned Parenthood sites, representing less than 2% of the clinics. According to a recent map published by the Texas Tribune, the Planned Parenthood clinics are concentrated in a few urban areas and surrounded by other WHP providers.
"Lawmakers last year slashed state funding for women's health and family planning programs by $73.6 million, cutting services to 160,000 women. They also took $10 million out of a another family planning budget line and shifted responsibility for providing those services onto the managed care organizations that administer Medicaid in Texas."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/...
But under a state law taking effect Wednesday, Henry and other eligible women won't be able to get care at Planned Parenthood clinics — which treat about 44% of the program's patients — or other facilities with ties to abortion providers, meaning those women will have to find new health-care providers.
The $40 million program is at the center of a faceoff between conservative Republican lawmakers and the federal government, which provides 90% of the program's funding. Although Texas already forbids taxpayer money from going to organizations that provide abortions, the law will cut off clinics with any affiliation to a provider, even if it's just a shared name, employee or board member.
The nonpartisan Center for...
"Lawmakers last year slashed state funding for women's health and family planning programs by $73.6 million, cutting services to 160,000 women. They also took $10 million out of a another family planning budget line and shifted responsibility for providing those services onto the managed care organizations that administer Medicaid in Texas."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/...
But under a state law taking effect Wednesday, Henry and other eligible women won't be able to get care at Planned Parenthood clinics — which treat about 44% of the program's patients — or other facilities with ties to abortion providers, meaning those women will have to find new health-care providers.
The $40 million program is at the center of a faceoff between conservative Republican lawmakers and the federal government, which provides 90% of the program's funding. Although Texas already forbids taxpayer money from going to organizations that provide abortions, the law will cut off clinics with any affiliation to a provider, even if it's just a shared name, employee or board member.
The nonpartisan Center for Public Policy Priorities, which works to alleviate poverty, said poor women would have difficulty finding new doctors who participate in the program. Doctors and clinics must be qualified Medicaid providers and enrolled in organizations that manage the program..
This is all on Texas not the Obama admin...
Obama denies all 2500 full health care providers for women and poor - just that simple. He hates women and the poor and proves it with this action.
Fortunately, Perry and Texas house have declared they will find a way to keep these providers open and helping the women and the poor. They are to be commended for their actions and the SOB in the WH simply proves he lies once again.
In 1991, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act required lenders to report rejection rates by race. Lenders were informed that their loans would be examined for evidence of bias. Violators would face fines -- get this -- as high as $500,000. The Democratic Congress in 1992 passed the Federal Housing Enterprise Act, providing HUD the hammer to carry out Congressional intent to “meet the mortgage credit needs of all potential home buyers, including those with low and moderate incomes.”
The 1992 act was the fuse that lit the largest housing blow-up the U.S. has ever seen, because one provision required that mortgage giants Fannie and Freddie “should accept down payments of 5 percent or less, ignore impaired credit if the blot was over one year old, and otherwise loosen (their) lending guidelines.”}