In what is the Republicans latest attempt to eliminate basic healthcare services for women across Wisconsin, including breast and cervical cancer screenings and access to birth control, the Assembly Committee on Health is holding a public hearing today on Assembly Bills 310 and 311. This legislation will defund critical family planning health centers across Wisconsin, take money away from county health departments, and reduce access to needed health care services.
“Over
the past few days, the national spotlight has been on Governor Walker
since he said he would consider building a wall between the US and
Canada. For Wisconsinites, this shouldn’t be surprising. Governor
Walker
and legislative Republicans have been building barriers between women
and needed health care for years. Now they have turned their attention
to attacking birth control,” Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) said.
Assembly
Bill 310 would exclude most Wisconsin women’s health centers from the
federal Title X funding, which goes towards comprehensive family
planning and related preventive health services. Under current state
and federal law, no public funding may be used for abortion services.
This bill conflicts with Title X regulations that require women to
receive certain referrals under the program. Over $3 million in federal
funds are received annually under this program
in Wisconsin.
The
second bill, Assembly Bill 311, slashes birth control reimbursement
rates for Medicaid family planning services, 90 percent of which is paid
for with federal funds, and will impact up to 51 family planning health
centers. A recent state fiscal estimate indicates that for county and
city health departments alone this bill will result in reducing revenue
by up to $788,800. These changes will put many local family planning
health centers across Wisconsin out of business,
particularly those health centers in rural communities, where no other
provider is available.
Planned
Parenthood of Wisconsin, the largest family planning provider in the
state, alone cares for over 60,000 patients each year and in 2014,
provided 3430 cervical cancer screens and 4799 breast exams.
“While
our children return to school this week, it is clear that Republicans
want to return to the 1950’s when women and families had few choices and
options over their reproductive
health. Over the last four years, legislative Republicans have placed
more abortion restrictions, with no exceptions for rape or incest
victims in some cases, on our law books than almost any other state in
the nation. Apparently that conservative red meat
wasn’t rare enough, since the two male authors have now set their
sights on restricting women’s access to birth control and cancer
screenings. It is appalling that Republican politicians are willing to
sacrifice women’s health and lives to score political
points with the most extreme wing of the Republican Party,” said Rep.
Taylor.
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