Should We Give Planned Parenthood Taxpayer Funds?
A few friends were talking the other day about Planned Parenthood. For a few minutes please set aside the abortion issue and go through this with me.
Planned Parenthood, as a non-profit organization dedicated to reproductive health, receives money from the federal government that allows them to provide services for low income women.
Fair enough you say.
The government provides a lot of health care funds for those in need. As taxpayers we want to provide a safety net for those who cannot afford these services. But should we be using taxpayer funds at Planned Parenthood? Is this the best use of our money?
Of course, the hue and cry of feminists is the argument that Planned Parenthood is necessary because they do mammograms.
Yes, I heard that just this week.
The president said this very thing the other day while he was trying to push his war on women agenda.
Here’s the truth.
First…because I know you are thinking this. Planned Parenthood does not do mammograms. Instead they offer referrals for a free (or reduced cost) mammo to area clinics for women who need them.
And second, 70 % of Planned Parenthood customers are under age 25. Here’s a risk assessment of breast cancer from the National Cancer Institute in women by age.
- Age 30 . . . . . . 0.44 percent (or 1 in 227)
- Age 40 . . . . . . 1.47 percent (or 1 in 68)
- Age 50 . . . . . . 2.38 percent (or 1 in 42)
- Age 60 . . . . . . 3.56 percent (or 1 in 28)
- Age 70 . . . . . . 3.82 percent (or 1 in 26)
In addition, the government Preventative Care Task Force recently offered an opinion to move preventative mammogram screenings to age 50. (Yes, I know this link is MSNBC…go figure.)
So.
The question becomes, how many referrals for mammograms are they actually writing at the Planned Parenthood clinics?
Okay. What else?
Look at the box below. Do you see how much money Planned Parenthood and its Political Action Committees spend on lobbying?
The following is just a short list of money spent by Planned Parenthood and one of its Political Action Committees to lobby for more funding and to campaign for president Obama and against candidate Romney.
- Planned Parenthood Votes PAC – $3,500,000 against Mitt Romney. $400,000 for Barack Obama
- Planned Parenthood spent $1,800,000 lobbying congress in 2011.
- Planned Parenthood contributed $420,000 to candidates in 2011-12.
Wow.
Isn’t that like a dog chasing its tail? And where should an agency draw the line between lobbying and campaigning for (or against) a political candidate?
Wait a second.
Do the other agencies also lobby for additional money from the government? The answer in short, is yes. And here’s a whole website dedicated to health care lobbying rules.
Finally.
What do you think? I am all for women getting quality health care. I am pretty sure though that they need more than just PAP smears, birth control, STD treatment and mammograms referrals. Would general women’s health clinics be better suited for all?
It seems worrisome that the company is given all this federal money then turns around and uses a pretty large number of dollars (albeit the PAC funds are separately raise) to campaign and promote their agenda just so they can get a large number of dollars again. It seems in a time when our government is having to cut back programs and spending that perhaps an agency that already is very capable of raising money could manage just as well without taxpayer funds.
P.S.
I know. I said we were going to set the abortion aside.
But.
Planned Parenthood provides 330,000 abortions per year—25-30% of the total in the US.
That’s an awful lot.
I so appreciated the conscice & informative approach to such a polarizing subject. Without a doubt there is some merit to some of the Planned Parenthood service. HOWEVER, why do taxpayer dollars need to fund them twice??? Medicaid members have these services available at medicaid approved clinics & hospitals that taxzpayers fund.now. And that would include a bona fide medically approved abortion. As for the others, We have graphic sex education classes in our schools & even a few ‘parents’ that still teach birth control. I keep hearing ‘a woman has a right to control her own body” Aha, yes! That means SHE is responsible, not me!!! I like “actions have consequences”
(As I understand) it, Planned Parenthood receives funding based on number of ‘clients’ seen. (I’ve left messages to verify, with no response) This would mean that in fact every ‘referral’ for breast cancer screening, (mamagrams) they get paid.
I fairly certain I’m as pro-life as some readers are pro-choice. This makes responses are wasted time IF you don’t have NEW arguements. This is about MY MONEY paying for someone elses health care when I have enough of my own.
Thanks Jan,
You bring up a good point and one I will have to delve into, that is, whether the funds counted as money to Planned Parenthood are in the form of Medicaid payments for services or is this money additional. If so, then you are correct that it would be like a double payment. Hmmm… If you have any verification of this please share it and I’ll update the article.
Great thoughts!
I don’t YET, will most certinly share if anyone can call me back. I have left messageS at 2 offices in 2 locations. No one ‘knows’ just who would have answers. Midland-Odessa Tx are just miles apart & the main communication seems to flip from one to the other. It’s a ‘hot’ topic here. Midland announced they would no longer offer the ‘full range of services” ?? & that Odessa would. Now it’s reversed…BOTH have relocated faciliies. This may be desert, but smells like a fish dock.
I do believe that ‘most’ of Planned Parenthood services are available at hospitals & cllinics that accept Medicade/medicare. So why fund other groups? Curious is it not
Thank you for your article. In relation to the cancer statistics, I believe I have read there are medical studies that show increased rates of breast cancer among women who choose aborticide to remove an unwanted child from the womb. As I recall, Planned Parenthood and other pro-Aborticide people discount or reject those medical studies. What is your understanding of that connection of cancer caused by aborticide?
Thank you for your comments, James. I have heard anecdotal stories about increased breast cancer in women who have abortions or miscarriages. It does seem that the sudden hormone change following both an abortion or miscarriage could have potential to cause problems,but there may be secondary issues,such as age and genetics that predispose the women who are diagnosed with cancer.
Most current literature does seem to dispute any connection (https://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/abortion-miscarriage), however I found an interesting review of many studies in the Journal of Physicians and Surgeons that is contrary and indicates a correlation. (from 2005: https://www.jpands.org/vol10no4/brind.pdf)