Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Planned Parenthood Shutting Down in IN & MN

Defunding of abortionists is having the desired effect as six clinics will close in Minnesota and eight in Indiana.

For background, read Indiana Taxpayers vs. Planned Parenthood and also read States Will Defund Planned Parenthood

UPDATE 12/15/11: Feds to reconsider if Indiana defunding violated federal law

UPDATE 6/24/11: Federal judge blocks Indiana from defunding Planned Parenthood; Indiana will appeal on behalf of taxpayers

-- From "Planned Parenthood Stops Seeing Medicaid Patients" by The Associated Press 6/21/11

A state law that took effect May 10 denied Planned Parenthood the Medicaid funds it uses to pay for general health services it provides to low-income women at its 28 Indiana clinics. The group is seeking a preliminary injunction to block Indiana's law, and a ruling is expected by July 1.

[Absent a favorable ruling, Planned Parenthood] plans to begin closing health centers and reducing staff. All but one of its 28 statewide clinics will be closed Wednesday -- and most employees will be on a one-day unpaid furlough as a cost-saving step.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Defunding efforts cause cuts in Planned Parenthood services" by Heather Gillers and Andrew Scoggin, USATODAY 6/21/11

In Indiana, Planned Parenthood will stop treating Medicaid patients and lay off two of three specialists after $100,000 in donations it had been using to replace state money ran out this week.

Legislatures in Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina and Wisconsin have voted to defund Planned Parenthood. The moves are law in the first three. Republican Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin is expected to sign a state budget with a similar provision by June 30.

Cuts in federal funds mean six Planned Parenthood clinics in Minnesota will close Aug. 1.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Planned Parenthood runs out of money for Medicaid customers" by John Paul, WSBT-TV (Mishawaka, IN) 6/21/11

Medicaid patients can continue receiving their services at Planned Parenthood, however, it will be on their own dime.

Two Disease Intervention Specialists lost their jobs Tuesday. On Wednesday, all but one of the Planned Parenthood locations in Indiana including the Grape Road location will shut their doors for a mandatory furlough day.

The Indianapolis location will close for a furlough day on Thursday.

If the [US District Court] judge does not issue a ruling by July 1st, Planned Parenthood will have to close almost a dozen locations throughout the state, including a clinic in Michigan City.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Planned Parenthood clinics to close" by Elizabeth Baier, Minnesota Public Radio 6/20/11

Planned Parenthood will close six clinics in Minnesota due to federal funding cuts.

The closings comes after a nearly 5.5 percent cut to Title X funding agreed to during the 2011 congressional budget debate.

Sarah Stoesz, president Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota said staffing and hours at other Minnesota clinics will be expanded to serve the needs of rural Minnesotans.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Minnesota Planned Parenthood to Close Six Locations in August" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 6/21/11

While [Minnesota Planned Parenthood CEO Sarah] Stoesz claims the Title X cuts are the reason for the closings, Bill Poehler, a spokesman for Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the statewide pro-life group, told KFGO there are other federally funded health clinics, Community-Based Health Centers, that offer legitimate medical care to women without having to go to an abortion business.

Minnesota state legislators hoped to curb the number of abortions further in the state by passing legislation to stop taxpayer funding of abortions and to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, but pro-abortion Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed both bills.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Indiana Planned Parenthood cuts hours, may shut down clinics after defunding" by Peter J. Smith, LifeSiteNews.com 6/21/11

Planned Parenthood has already lost access to $1.3 million in family planning funds that Indiana used to pay to the abortion provider. Those payments came to an end when HB 1210, a law signed by GOP Gov. Mitch Daniels, went into effect, barring family planning groups that provide abortions from being eligible to receive the state grants.

Planned Parenthood operates 28 clinics in the state, including four abortion sites, but may sacrifice eight clinics rather than sever the abortion business from family planning, as a Texas Planned Parenthood had done.

State officials are defending the changes, saying every one of Indiana’s 92 counties will continue to have family planning services for Medicaid recipients.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.