BILL ANALYSIS �
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Date of Hearing: May 8, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH
William W. Monning, Chair
ACR 148 (Butler) - As Introduced: May 1, 2012
SUBJECT : California Family Planning Guarantee.
SUMMARY : Resolves that the State should provide a family
planning guarantee that would ensure the backfill of any budget
shortfalls experienced by family planning services in California
as a result of cuts in federal funding. Specifically, this
resolution :
1)Makes the following declarations:
a) Family planning services are essential to providing
basic health care and family planning to millions of women,
including well-woman examinations, lifesaving cancer
screenings, and contraceptive services;
b) Due to cuts in federal funding, access to preventative
health care for millions of women is at risk;
c) The volatility of federal funding for family planning
services is a matter of statewide concern; and,
d) Financial support for the basic health care for women
should not be contingent on funding from the federal
government.
2)Resolves that the State of California should provide for a
family planning guarantee which would ensure that California
will stand with women and backfill any budget shortfalls
experienced by family planning services in California as a
result of cuts in federal funding.
EXISTING LAW establishes the Family Planning Access, Care, and
Treatment (Family PACT) Waiver Program, to provide comprehensive
clinical family planning services to any person whose family
income is not in excess of 200% of the federal poverty level
(FPL), if the waiver is obtained by the federal government.
FISCAL EFFECT . This resolution has not yet been analyzed by a
fiscal committee.
COMMENTS :
1)PURPOSE OF THIS RESOLUTION . According to the author, this
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resolution is needed to bring awareness to the vulnerability
of California's family planning service providers to cuts in
federal funding.
2)FAMILY PACT . Family PACT is California's major publicly
funded family planning program designed to provide
"comprehensive family planning services" to low-income men and
women in California with no other source of family planning
and reproductive health care insurance coverage. According to
the California Department of Public Health (DPH), since it
started in 1997, Family PACT has helped thousands of women get
reproductive health care at community clinics and private
doctors' offices throughout the State. Family PACT does not
cover abortion or prenatal care, however, it does cover the
following services:
a) Pregnancy tests;
b) All forms of birth control approved by the United States
Food and Drug Administration (FDA);
c) Male and female sterilization;
d) Emergency Contraception (the morning-after pill);
e) Gynecological care such as pap smear and breast
examines;
f) Dysplasia services (treatment of abnormal or
precancerous cells on the cervix);
g) Test and treatment for human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections;
h) Screening and treatment for urinary tract infections and
hepatitis B;
i) Basic infertility screening and treatment; and,
j) Referrals for services not covered by the program.
Family PACT is administered by DPH, Office of Family Planning.
According to DPH, women and men are eligible if they reside
in California, are at risk of pregnancy or causing pregnancy,
have a gross family income at or below 200% of FPL, and have
no other source of health care coverage for family planning
services.
According to a fiscal year (FY) 2010-11 University of
California, San Francisco Family PACT program report (Family
PACT Report), preliminary data indicate that Family PACT
served 1.79 million clients in FY 2010-11 and when all claims
are processed, this number is expected to increase to 1.90
million. Preliminary data indicate that the number of clients
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served increased by 4.3% from FY 2009-10 which follows a 3.1%
increase in the previous year. Preliminary data also shows
that total reimbursement to Family PACT providers was $576
million for services provided in FY 2010-11 and when all
claims are processed, this number is expected to grow to about
$638 million. The Family PACT Report indicates that 62% of
the total growth in reimbursement in FY 2010-11 was due to the
increase in the number of clients served, with the remaining
38% due to the changes in cost and services utilization.
DPH maintains that Family PACT has reduced the number of
unintended pregnancies in California resulting in substantial
financial savings to local, state, and federal governments.
DPH indicates that each unintended pregnancy averted by a
female Family PACT client saved the public sector
approximately $6,557 in medical, welfare, and other social
service costs for a woman and child from conception to age two
and saved $14,111 from conception to age five.
According to DPH, Family PACT was initially funded only by
State funds, however, in 1999 the program received a Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services 1115 Waiver. Medicaid
waivers allow states to waive Medicaid rules and are used to
test new or promising ways to deliver or pay for health care
services. Under the 1115 Waiver the State received federal
matching funds for Family PACT services delivered. Effective
July 1, 2010, the State submitted a State Plan Amendment, as
permitted by the newly passed healthcare reform law, the
federal Patient Protection and Affordability Act (ACA). Under
the ACA's Family Planning State Option, all features of
California's Family PACT have been retained.
3)OTHER FUNDING SOURCES FOR FAMILY PLANNING . The Medi-Cal
program also provides funding for health services for
low-income and uninsured women, including those who are
pregnant and need either abortion services or prenatal care.
As California's version of the federal Medicaid program,
Medi-Cal helps thousands of women obtain inexpensive services
after learning they are pregnant.
Additionally, in 1999 Governor Gray Davis signed the Women's
Contraceptive Equity Act, making California one of a handful
of states to require private insurance plans that cover
prescription drugs to cover FDA approved contraceptives as
well.
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4)SUPPORT . Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and
Planned Parenthood Advocacy project, Los Angeles County, write
in support of this resolution that California has the most
successful and cost-effective family planning program in the
country, Family PACT, which fills a critical gap in health
care by providing no or low-cost family planning services.
While California is not facing federal cuts to family planning
at this time, nationally, family planning is under attack.
Supporters maintain that the State has an opportunity to
continue to be at the forefront of women's health by ensuring
that access to important family planning services such as
contraception and life-saving cancer screenings are protected
in our State.
5)SUGGESTED AMENDMENT . Recognizing the significant success
Family PACT has had in the State by increasing access to
services and filling a critical gap in health care for
underinsured and uninsured Californians, the fiscal
implications of this resolution in light of the State's
current budget crisis, are a cause for concern. The author
may wish to delete the current formal resolution language and
amend the language to resolve the following:
"The State is committed to supporting access to family
planning services and strongly urges the preservation
of funding to ensure that California will stand with
women and allow them to enjoy improved health and
experience fewer unplanned pregnancies and births."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project, Los Angeles County
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Tanya Robinson-Taylor / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
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