Contact: Mary Emanuel, Abortion in Washington, 206-853-6874
SEATTLE, Jan. 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- The independent web site Abortion in Washington reacted to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's plan to "stimulate the economy with more birth control" by saying, "Contraceptive programs cost states money not save money. In the state of Washington the numbers clearly show that despite giant subsidies to the state's single largest supplier of birth control Medicaid funded births are up, as are abortions."
Abortion in Washington released several reports in 2008 on Washington's Take Charge Medicaid program, which provides free contraceptives to low-income women. The site reports that the program is costing the state millions in funds it promised it would save and has led to increased abortion rates. One report shows that the number of abortions performed by the program's leading partner, Planned Parenthood of Western Washington (renamed Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest as of this month), has been increasing 11% per year and jumped a shocking 16% from 2006 to 2007, to a record 9,059.
The cost-savings intended by the designers of the program are not being realized. When the program began in 2001, the state was paying out $200 million a year for childbirth services under Medicaid. That figure has shot up 50%, to $300 million under the program. The state of Washington is now at a point where almost half of all births in the state are paid for by Medicaid.
"Every state auditor and legislator in the union needs to examine how any Medicaid family planning programs are performing in their own state," said Mary Emanuel, assistant publisher of Abortion in Washington. "We would like to see just one scientifically accurate study that demonstrates the effectiveness of this program. From our research it appears the Take Charge program is the left's version of a faith-based initiative."
Additionally, further harm and costs are incurred as birth control does nothing to prevent the spread of STD's. The nation is now facing an STD epidemic with 1 in every 4 teenage girls infected with an STD.
