Governor JB Pritzker announced that the State of Illinois would refuse Title X family planning funding as long as the Trump-Pence administration’s gag rule is in effect. The gag rule would basically ban clinics from discussing abortions with patients or referring them to abortion clinics.
“We are grateful to Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ezike for their decision to not accept Title X family planning funding as long as the ‘gag rule’ is in place,” said Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois.” “The relationship between a patient and their doctor is based on trust and honesty; the gag rule violates that trust and puts patients’ health at risk. Governor Pritzker is, once again, standing up to the Trump-Pence administration because access to health care such as cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing and treatment, and other family planning services should be available to anyone who needs them regardless of their ability to pay.”
The medical community and public health experts are against this rule. In addition to the AMA, the gag rule has been opposed by major medical associationslike the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, as well as 110 public health organizations, andpublic health experts such as former U.S. surgeon general Dr. Vivek H. Murthy,and many others. A group of 19 different medical organizations, mayors, state lawmakers, over 200 Members of Congress, newly elected Democratic governors, and several other governors have opposed this legislation as well.
Additional background on the gag rule
Title X in Illinois
In 2015, Illinois served 50,340 female contraceptive patients at Title X funded Planned Parenthood health centers. This includes 31% identify as Black or African American and 15% identify as Hispanic or Latino.
Planned Parenthood health centers make up 18% of Title X providers in Illinois, but services 42% percent of Title X.
- PPIL serves 1 in 4 patients in Cook County that access contraceptive care from a publicly funded health center despite accounting for just 5% of publicly funded health centers that provide contraceptive care.
- In DuPage County, PPIL’s Aurora Health Center serves 65% of patients that access contraceptive care from a publicly funded health center. In comparison, the 6 FQHCs in DuPage serve just 35% of patients.
- In LaSalle County, PPIL’s Ottawa Health Center serves 99% of patients that access contraceptive care from a publicly funded health center; the 1 FQHC in LaSalle County serves just 1% of patients.
- PPIL is the only publicly funded health care provider in Tazewell County where patients can access contraceptive care.
- In McLean County, PPIL’s Bloomington Health Center serves 87% of patients that access contraceptive care from a publicly funded health center. In comparison, the 3 FQHCs in McLean serve just 13% of patients.
- In Peoria County, PPIL’s Peoria Health Center serves 59% of patients that access contraceptive care from a publicly funded health center. In comparison, the 1 hospital clinic serves 28% of patients, and the 3 FQHCs serve 13%.
- In Champaign County, PPIL’s Champaign Health Center serves 61% of patients that access contraceptive care from a publicly funded health center. In comparison, the 3 FQHCs serve 19% of patients and the 2 health department clinics serve 20%.
- In Macon County, PPIL’s Decatur Health Center serves 65% of patients that access contraceptive care from a publicly funded health center. In comparison, the 3 FQHCs serve 35% of patients.
- In Sangamon County, PPIL’s Springfield Health Center serves 62% of patients that access contraceptive care from a publicly funded health center. In comparison, the 3 FQHCs serve 38% of patients.
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