Planned Parenthood says it received a letter from the state announcing that it will be defunded beginning May 10.
The governor’s office, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not immediately comment.
This is an outrageous attempt by Governor Brownback to punish the women and men who have freely chosen Planned Parenthood for their health care for decades.
Laura McQuade, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri
“This is an outrageous attempt by Governor Brownback to punish the women and men who have freely chosen Planned Parenthood for their health care for decades,” Laura McQuade, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, said in a written statement.
The state money comes through Medicaid, which provides health care for low-income and disabled Kansans. Some of the services it covers include annual exams, birth control, preventative care and breast exams. Medicaid does not cover abortions.
Gov. Sam Brownback previously promised to defund Planned Parenthood in his State of the State address in January and cited video images that anti-abortion activists say show Planned Parenthood executives arranging for the sale of fetal tissue and organs for medical research.
He did not apologize to Planned Parenthood when the videographers were indicted a few days later.
Eileen Hawley, the governor’s spokeswoman, said in an e-mail Wednesday that the governor called for this action “in order to protect the unborn and support a culture of life in Kansas. Planned Parenthood has been fully informed of the reasons for this decision, including their own refusal to submit to a lawful inspection of their premises.”
The letter from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment says the order was made at the direction of the governor, through the head of the state health department.
Brownback cited these reasons for taking away Planned Parenthood’s funding: noncompliance with laws, administrative regulations or with providing medical provider information; noncompliance with provider agreements; unethical or unprofessional conduct; and “other good cause.”
Brownback’s reasons to defund Planned Parenthood: noncompliance with laws, administrative regulations or with providing medical provider information; noncompliance with provider agreements; unethical or unprofessional conduct; and “other good cause.”
Kansas Department of Health and Environment Division of Health Care Finance notified Planned Parenthood of the state’s plan to defund the program in a March 10 letter, which alleges that Planned Parenthood’s Overland Park facility prevented a waste inspector from KDHE from completing a December inspection and photographing certain portions of the facility. The letter notes that Planned Parenthood’s attorneys have rejected this claim.
The March 10 letter also cites the videos from Houston as evidence “that warrant termination of (Planned Parenthood Fedaration of America) PPFA’s Kansas affiliates.”
Lawyers representing Planned Parenthood on April 29 presented arguments about why it shouldn’t be defunded during an administrative review with representatives from the Division of Health Care Finance.
“After a thorough review of all information presented, it is the decision of DHCF (the Division of Health Care Finance) that your participation in KMAP (the Kansas Medical Assistance Program) will be terminated effective May 10, 2016,” the letter read.
A statement from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas said 10 other current and former Planned Parenthood medical providers were also terminated.
The ACLU of Kansas said in a statement that 10 other current and former Planned Parenthood medical providers were also terminated.
The statement went on to say that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services does not allow states to exclude providers for offering abortion services.
“Medicaid recipients have the right to receive services from any Medicaid-eligible provider,” the ACLU statement read.
Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, called it an attack on women, saying that it would affect low-income and young women who rely on Planned Parenthood for gynecological services.
“By withdrawing these funds, which were not used for abortions, all you’re doing is taking away primary healthcare for women,” Kelly said.
“If people were truly concerned about reducing the number of abortions they would be enhancing funding for entities like Planned Parenthood and our community health clinics, so that women could get good family planning care,” she added. “The only way we’re ever going to reduce abortions is to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.”
Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group, said “hallelujah” when he heard about the announcement.
Mark my words, this is the beginning of the end of Planned Parenthood.
Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue
“Mark my words, this is the beginning of the end of Planned Parenthood,” he said, adding that he foresees federal legal issues for Planned Parenthood.
“Really, the stripping of their money is the least of their worries,” Newman said.
If it disagrees with the decision, Planned Parenthood has a month to formally request a hearing with the state’s Office of Administrative Hearings.
Planned Parenthood announced March 22 that it was expanding access to the abortion pill in Wichita as well as treatments for menopause and HIV prevention medicine along with transgender care.
Contributing: Bryan Lowry of The Eagle
Gabriella Dunn: 316-268-6400, @gabriella_dunn