Right there with them
Amid an ongoing battle over Planned Parenthood’s participation in the state Medicaid program, Texas health officials are cutting off funding to a Planned Parenthood affiliate for an HIV prevention program.
In a notice received by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast late Monday, an official with the Department of State Health Services informed the Houston-based provider that it would not renew its contract for HIV prevention services.
The long-standing grant, which funds HIV testing and prevention services, was set to expire on Dec. 31, according to the notice which was obtained by the Texas Tribune.
“There will be no further renewals of this contract,” a DSHS official wrote in the notice to Planned Parenthood.
The contract is federally funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but managed by the state. A spokeswoman for the CDC said she was unaware of the state’s notice and did not immediately provide comment.
By ending Planned Parenthood’s contract, the state is cutting off almost $600,000 in annual funding, which the health care provider used for HIV testing and counseling, condom distribution and referral consultations.
Incredible. At least with the cutoff of Women’s Health Program funds, the state made some arrangements for alternate options. It was half-assed and still caused a huge unnecessary upheaval for thousands of women, but there was at least a token gesture towards maintaining the service. That doesn’t appear to be the case here, or at least the flunkies at the HHSC had no comment at the time the story was published. Unless PPGC decides to continue this on its own dime, this service just goes away. Because why would Greg Abbott care about people who might have HIV? And remember, the root of all this is a pack of lies that the state is hoping you’ll all forget.
The Chron story on this is here. I don’t know if this action can be wrapped into the ongoing litigation over the state cutting off Medicaid funds for Planned Parenthood, but regardless perhaps some political pressure can be applied.
Texas Democrats in Congress sent a letter to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services this month asking that they “explore all options available at the federal level” to stop the State of Texas from blocking Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding for health services.
[…]
“Members of the delegation understand that there is a precedent for intervention, and several options available for the federal government to bring Texas into compliance with federal law,” said Congressman Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth. “In the past, CMS has decreased or removed federal funding from Texas, which we do not want to happen again as doing so would decrease access to care instead of expanding it.”
Click over to see the letter, which was signed by ten members of the Texas Congressional delegation. The Observer and the Press have more.
Can Texas halt funding for neurological treatment, thereby cutting help for patients like Abbott once was?
This is unbelievably harsh and cruel.