The president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky (PPINK) says her Terre Haute facility is closing because business is bad and revenues are down.
Betty Cockrum says her clinic has seen a 62 percent decline in patients over the past decade.
“We are operating in the red,” she told the Tribune-Star. “I think it’s highly likely there will be an announcement of additional closures in the near future.”
Cockrum said Planned Parenthood clinics are closing for several reasons, including Obamacare’s offering of free birth control and the availability of over-the-counter “morning-after” pills, which – since 2013 – can be purchased by girls with no age restrictions.
“It has created a fall-off in traffic,” Cockrum explained.
Ironically, Planned Parenthood has been a major supporter of Obamacare and has even received additional funding in the form of “navigator grants” to help women sign up for President Obama’s signature health care reform.
Cockrum also observed the change in recommendations for Pap tests by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to every three years as another factor that has led to the significant decline in the number of patients seen every year by Planned Parenthood.
“We celebrated the mission advance,” Cockrum said, “but we regret the impact on our bottom line.”
PPINK currently operates 25 facilities with 23 located in Indiana and two in Kentucky.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), at least five federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) that provide comprehensive health care for low-income individuals exist within 15 miles of Terre Haute for those individuals who may have used that Planned Parenthood facility for some healthcare needs.
FQHCs provide comprehensive health care, but no abortions. Another source to find FQHCs in areas across the United States is getourcare.org.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.