Texas to keep Planned Parenthood in health program - for now

Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston. Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston. Photo: Harry Cabluck, AP Photo: Harry Cabluck, AP Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Texas to keep Planned Parenthood in health program - for now 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN - Planned Parenthood will remain part of the Women's Health Program for now, state officials said Wednesday, putting off the organization's ouster as critics questioned whether enough health-care providers would exist without it.

Gov. Rick Perry and Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek cited court action and a desire to hold on to federal funding in putting off Thursday's anticipated start of a new Texas Women's Health Program, which would be run only with state dollars and without Planned Parenthood.

Perry on Wednesday said Texas remains committed to barring the clinics from the program, saying state law excludes those affiliated with abortion providers. He also said the remaining health-care providers will have the capacity to serve women in the program, saying 3,000 providers have signed up.

The state has gone to federal court to try to retain federal funding - which has paid 90 percent of the nearly $40 million annual cost of the program - while excluding Planned Parenthood. The federal government has said such a ban is not allowed under the Medicaid program, which has paid for services.

Planned Parenthood, meanwhile, has gone to state and federal court to try to remain in the program. It recently won a temporary restraining order from a state court allowing it to stay in the program at least until a Nov. 8 hearing.

Planned Parenthood has been a main provider in the program, which provides contraceptives and health screenings to more than 100,000 women.

Mara Posada of the Planned Parenthood Trust of South Texas said the delay in launching the state program suggests "they are not ready to start this program, which by all accounts has been deemed a disaster. There are simply not enough providers with the capacity to see the same number of patients as Planned Parenthood."

The Wednesday announcement is "an important victory for every woman who relies on the Women's Health Program for basic, preventive health care," said Melaney A. Linton, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.

Texas officials on Wednesday said that the state-funded program is ready, but it is unclear when they will abandon the federal program. They said federal officials have suggested they can't provide funding past Dec. 31.

Janek said the state will continue to operate the program with Medicaid funds until that federal funding is stopped or a final court decision requires the state to include Planned Parenthood, violating state law.

Perry said he expected court action within a couple of weeks.

"We think the wisest decision for now is to continue with the federal funding," Janek said. "We will continue to pay Planned Parenthood until we get some certainty from the (court) cases.

"The state program is ready to go, but ... we will continue in the federal program until such time as the courts say, 'Either let in Planned Parenthood or other affiliate groups or stop the program entirely,' in which case we would stop the program entirely and revert to the Texas Women's Health Program," Janek said, referring to the solely state-funded program.

Janek at a forum Wednesday sponsored by the Texas Tribune cited the figure of 3,000 providers but said the state still is gauging their capacity, meaning how many patients they can take. He said later he is confident the state will have enough capacity.

The state has said if it is forced to include Planned Parenthood, it will end that program entirely.

Planned Parenthood has expressed shock at that stand, saying it would hurt women. Perry on Wednesday sought to turn around the blame.

"Texas will not allow a program that includes abortion providers or their affiliates, like Planned Parenthood ... and if they file a lawsuit challenging the Texas program and they were to prevail, they will kill this program," Perry said. "And they'd be responsible for denying these important health services to low-income women in Texas."

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