By Guy Page
A Vermont abortion rights organization in deep red ink wants state taxpayers and ratepayers to bail it out. And its Vermont political action committee (PAC) is warning political candidates their endorsement depends on whether they’ll deliver.
In an August 1 press release, Planned Parenthood of New England – the region’s leading abortion provider and a major provider of transgender drug therapy – announced “it needs significant financial support to continue offering its lifesaving health care services across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont…..the organization is facing a projected financial deficit of $8.6 million over the next three years and could be forced to change how and where it offers services.”
At a press conference, the organization’s spokespeople cited a ‘significantly broken’ health care system and ‘endless political attacks’ as the main drivers. They went on to name Covid-19, inflation, insufficient reimbursement rates, and an increased demand for their free and discounted care – including abortions for out-of-state women – as factors that have worsened the financial situation.
Despite having the smallest population of the Northern New England states, Vermont has BY far the highest PPNNE customer traffic.
PPNNE claims it served more than 32,000 patients, totaling more than 47,000 visits, in the past fiscal year, 56% of whom had low incomes. In the last three years, PPNNE has provided $14 million worth of free and discounted health care.
- ME: 8,388 patients; 11,355 visits; 58% low income
- NH: 11,223 patients; 15,717 visits; 58% low income
- VT: 13,354 patients; 19,940 visits; 54% low income
PPNNE has 15 health centers across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, as well as a telehealth program:
- ME: 4 health centers in Biddeford, Portland, Sanford, and Topsham
- NH: 4 health centers in Derry, Exeter, Keene, and Manchester.
- VT: 7 health centers in Barre, Brattleboro, Burlington, Rutland, St. Johnsbury, White River Junction, and Williston.
The organization claims that since the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022, PPNNE has served 7,800 abortion patients from 32 states plus D.C.
PPNNE of course isn’t the only health care (to use their own descriptor) organization running in the red. Demographics and the Legislature’s pumping Covid-era federal funding – now gone – into Medicaid reimbursement are big cost drivers for everyone.
No legislator – no matter how faithful in the past – should expect a great score merely by resting on their laurels, PPPNE warned in its questionnaire introduction. “Previous endorsements do not guarantee future endorsements. New candidates who score 100% on our survey will receive endorsements.”
However, it is the only medical service provider with a former vice-president as Speaker of the House (Rep. Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington), and with a robust legislative candidate vetting system.
And this year, the Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund (PPVTAF) candidate questionnaire focuses mostly on the Vermont Legislature to give them money from taxpayers and health insurance ratepayers. Five of the 17 questions – including the first three – are about a legislator’s willingness to allocate funds on their behalf.
Question One: “Will you support efforts to increase state funding for sexual and reproductive health care,” specified as “birth control, abortion, gender-affirming care, and family planning.”
The next two questions demand that state-operated Medicaid rates be increased and coverage expanded.
Question Two: “Will you support increasing Medicaid payment rates for sexual and reproductive health care services that better reflect the true cost of providing care to patients?”
Question Three: “Will you protect expanded coverage of family planning through Medicaid, to improve access to preventive services and family planning care?”
Then after posing a few policy-related questions, PPPNE brings up money again: “Will you advocate for increased investment and protections in sexual and reproductive health care, including contraception and abortion?”
There’s an ask for “an emergency one-time appropriation” for abortion drugs: “If necessary, would you support an emergency one-time appropriation to ensure Vermont has an adequate supply to continue to provide abortion medication to Vermont patients?”
Returned candidate questionnaires must be received by September 6. Any candidate receiving a 100% or very high score will almost certainly have said ‘yes’ to most or all of the questionnaire’s five funding questions. VDC will publicize any announced results.