{"id":241732,"date":"2021-03-19T09:39:57","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T14:39:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=241732"},"modified":"2021-03-18T16:39:28","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T21:39:28","slug":"planned-parenthood-medicaid-funding-washington-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/planned-parenthood-medicaid-funding-washington-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Planned Parenthood says Medicaid isn’t enough, begs for more funding in Washington state"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Multiple Planned Parenthood locations in Washington state have closed<\/a>\u00a0since January 1, yet the nation’s largest abortion provider continues to clamor for increased government funding despite operating fewer facilities.<\/p>\n

Three Washington Planned Parenthood centers have reportedly<\/a> already shut down this year, with the most recent closure in February. Planned Parenthood executives blamed the closures on decreased patient volumes due to the pandemic as well as low Medicaid reimbursement rates. They, along with private abortion providers at Cedar River Clinics, are pressing their state government for increased Medicaid reimbursement. The Kitsap Sun noted, “Both organizations are hoping the Legislature will take action in the coming weeks to increase the state\u2019s Medicaid reimbursement rates for family planning services. If lawmakers do not do so, Planned Parenthood said as many as six of its other clinics across the state are at risk of closure.”<\/p>\n

Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands’ (PPGNHI) chief operating officer, Rebecca Gibron, said, “This is the last place we wanted to go, to have to close health centers \u2014 but here we are. We\u2019ve been asking for these increases for years, and we\u2019ve just hit our breaking point.” But Gibron’s description of Planned Parenthood as a beleaguered do-gooder succumbing inevitably to financial pressures doesn’t give the whole picture<\/a>, especially when it comes to Planned Parenthood’s relationship with Medicaid.<\/p>\n