DeGette, Slaughter, Pallone Hail Final Rule Protecting Women’s Health Services Under Title X

WASHINGTON, DC — Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) today hailed the Obama Administration’s final rule barring states from withholding federal family planning funds in a discriminatory manner from clinics that provide women’s reproductive health services. They noted that the rule issued today will shore up efforts across the country to safeguard women’s access to services protected under Title X, which have been in place for more than 25 years. Title X is the only federal program focused solely on providing family planning and related preventive services.

“Title X-supported programs provide vital care for uninsured, low-income and young people nationwide,” said DeGette, co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. “This updated regulation protects millions of people seeking access to these essential services. Given the intensifying attacks on women’s access to them at both the state and federal level in recent months, such protection is more important than ever.”

“Women’s health care services will be under unprecedented assault from a Trump Administration, Republican leaders in Congress, and conservative state legislatures across the country. But men in blue suits and red ties shouldn’t determine what women can and should do when it comes to their own health or bodies. The Obama Administration’s actions today will protect state health care providers from political attacks that could cripple their ability to provide life-saving and preventative health care services to millions of Americans,” said Slaughter, co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus.

“Millions of Americans rely on Title X-supported health clinics to access critical health services like cancer screenings, HIV tests, and reproductive health services,” Pallone said. “Unfortunately, Republicans have placed politics before health care by attempting to limit which providers women can access to meet these needs. Today’s action will protect women’s access to quality health care services by ensuring that quality of care and not politics govern which health providers can receive Title X federal funding.”

The new regulation clarifies and reinforces that health care providers may not be excluded from federal funding for reasons unrelated to their qualifications to perform Title X-funded services, which include contraception and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, fertility, pregnancy care, and breast and cervical cancer screening.

In early October, DeGette, Slaughter, and Pallone wrote to HHS Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell supporting the proposed update to the Title X family planning program. In their letter, they noted that at least 14 states have taken official action to target and exclude otherwise eligible providers from the Title X program. Last year, Title X’s network of health care providers served more than 4 million women, men, and young people with family planning and other preventive health care services including Pap tests, breast exams, HIV testing, and contraception.