Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Abortion; Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 15 May 2011 - 8:00 PDT
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Indiana is the first US state to stop public funding to Planned Parenthood for general health services after a federal judge refused to block a new abortion law. Many see this as a move to enhance Republican Governor Mitch Daniel's credentials among conservatives as he deliberates on running for president.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana had requested a temporary restraining order, this was denied by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Planned Parenthood said the law undermined health care services for thousands of Medicaid patients.
While it is challenging the law, which was signed by the Governor last Tuesday, Planned Parenthood was seeking a continuation of public funding. The judge's decision means the funds can be halted immediately.
President of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, Becky Cockrum, said:
"The decision is devastating. There's certainly a chance we will have to decide that we cannot see Medicaid patients unless they are able to somehow pay for their services themselves."
According to the District Judge, Planned Parenthood did not demonstrate that it would suffer irreparable harm if the temporary restraining order were not approved. Pratt also added that the state of Indiana needs more time to respond to the complaint.
A request to permanently block the new law will be heard on June 6. Pratt explained that she will rule on the issue before July 1, by which time new abortion controls included in the law will have taken effect.
Anti-abortion campaigners are thrilled, saying the new law is not about health care services, but about abortion.
In what it describes as a "temporary fix", Planned Parenthood of Indianan (PPIN) says it will pay for Medicaid patients' costs of care throughout the state at least until May 21. However, it warns that due to new financial constraints, it will not be able to take on any new Medicaid-eligible patients. Some services will also be postponed until the court has issued a ruling on the injunction PPIN is seeking.
PPIN says this temporary fix would not have been possible had it not been for the "extraordinary outpouring of support from donors across the country." If donations continue coming in at their present rate, PPIN says it will be able to extend services beyond May 21.
PPIN, in a communiqué, wrote:
"PPIN's 9,300 Medicaid patients became unplugged from health care at their preferred provider on Tuesday when Governor Mitch Daniels signed HEA 1210 into law. The law bars the state from entering into contracts with, or granting to, any entities (other than hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers) that provide abortions.PPIN has filed for an injunction contending the law is unconstitutional and violates federal law. A hearing is scheduled on that motion on June 6 in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis."
In its web site, National Right to Life wrote:
"National Right to Life applauds U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt's decision to deny a request by Planned Parenthood of Indiana for a temporary restraining order against a new Indiana law that denies state-directed funding for businesses and organizations performing abortions in the state. Judge Pratt's order allows the funding cuts passed by the Indiana legislature and signed by Governor Mitch Daniels earlier this month to immediately take effect."
Written by Christian Nordqvist Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
MLA
9 Dec. 2011.
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
posted by swflwoman on 15 May 2011 at 8:47 am
The government should not be involved in woman's health care.
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posted by jay on 15 May 2011 at 9:33 am
...you're keeping the poor poorer by forcing people to keep unplanned and unwanted children. I hope you see how this will increase crime rates in the future.
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posted by mangry c mom on 15 May 2011 at 9:39 am
Finally! its about time that Planned Parenthood got slapped in the face for their abusive behavior to women. It is about time that women who suffer the effects of abortion, like ripped cervixs, PSTD, and the infertility directly caused by abortion get some time in court. This organization doesn't need our tax money and they shouldn't get it. They destroy more then a baby they destroy the post-mother too. This is not what the law was about, but anything that stops PP from their destruction of life is a good thing.
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posted by DR Punk on 15 May 2011 at 7:50 pm
Your headline writer should be fired.
Declining to issue a stay against a new law is by no means approving of it. The law may very well be rejected on further hearing. This writing is crap!
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posted by ken on 16 May 2011 at 9:07 am
The objective, of course, is forced reproductive labor (involuntary servitude). Under that regime, the two alternatives are abortion without a doctor (complications are death, mayhem to the uterus, or other injury and/or prison in some states-coming as in the past) VS. lower rates of these by laboring as the forced workers of others (but no prison). (The lowest death rate is abortion with a doctor, allowing that the rare late-term abortions have greater risk.)
Consider the different kinds of rape:
1. Sex by force;
2. Reproduction by force;
3. Abortion by force; and
4. A version of the doctrine of ensoulment by force ("immortal souls in fertilized eggs"; hence the saying "life begins at conception"). Then trying to write laws to force people to behave as 'tho they believed that version of religious doctrine and voluntarily choose to behave in accordance, when they do not so believe.
The four kinds of rape involve conquering private parts of another person (victim) by the attacker, who then uses the other person's private parts for his/her own passion, objective, or purpose. The first three are physical; the last physical and mental.
The land of the free? The land of individual liberty?
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posted by Theresa on 16 May 2011 at 9:16 am
Abortion is still legal in these United States. This judge and Gov. don't care about women; they want to further their neanderthal beliefs and careers on the backs on women and the poor and that women can't be "sovereign" in their own bodies and conduct private decisions between them and their doctors. And poor women bear the brunt of these idiots because they don't have money and power to make sure intruder politicians stay out their reproductive organs. Small gov't my ass. Angry mom let's see if you suddenly were poor and needed repro services from PP and were turned away because of no funding; why don't you try to put yourself in some of these people's shoes instead of being so judgmental. How unchristian.
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