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Madison — A state program that provides free birth control to those from the ages of 15 to 44 will be available to more people after the federal government on Thursday approved raising income limits in the program.

Wisconsin is the first state to raise the income levels for the program, which was allowed under the federal health care reform law passed earlier this year, according to Wausau-based Family Planning Health Services.

The federal approval makes the program more widely available, but its future remains unclear because of skepticism from Republicans who will take over state government in January.

The family planning program, which also provides screening for sexually transmitted diseases, had been available to those making 200% above the federal poverty level. The changes approved Thursday raise eligibility to 300% of the federal poverty level, making it available to individuals who earn up to $32,490 a year.

The program is controversial because girls as young as 15 can get access to birth control without parental consent. Virtually anyone age 15 to 17 is eligible for the program because parental income is not taken into account when determining if children qualify for the program.

Initially available to females only, the program was expanded to include males last year. More than 54,000 people are enrolled.

Supporters say it has greatly reduced sexually transmitted diseases and saved millions of dollars by preventing births that would have been borne by Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for low-income people.

In an e-mail to supporters touting the federal approval of the expansion, Family Planning Health Services Executive Director Lon Newman wrote: "It is a great victory toward achieving universal access to reproductive health care."

Opponents have called for eliminating the program or raising the minimum age to 18. Scaling back the 7-year-old program appears possible with Republicans about to take over the governor's office and both houses of the Legislature.

"I certainly intend to pare it back as much as I can," said Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend), who will sit on the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee.