Gasp! Wash. State slashes Maternity Care

[ensho]

http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2010/09/30/draft-prochoice-governor-faces-looming-budget-shortfalls-cuts-family-planning-maternity-care


Washington State Slashing Family Planning, Maternity Care


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The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in Washington announced budget cuts last night, across the board, for what are deemed "optional" services. From Take Charge, the family planning program which provides free birth control and family planning to low-income women and men, to Maternity Support Services, which covers one out of every three pregnant women in the state, Medicaid programs are being slashed. Included in the cuts are subsidized health insurance coverage for children, pharmacy benefits and dental care for adults, hospice care and much more. According to The Olympian, state Medicaid director, Doug Porter, considers the cuts "devastating" and "radically altering the face of the medical programs" created by Medicaid.

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It's hard to imagine, however, how the state's most vulnerable women and children will access crucial health care otherwise. When it comes to prenatal care for pregnant women, including referrals for domestic violence services, drug treatment, breastfeeding, nutritional services and more; as well as family planning programs; and health care for children, the initial investment saves money down the road. Will these cuts to critical interventions mean short-term savings with no long-term benefit?

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the article also says that pro-choice Governor Gregoire may not have a choice but to do this.

she's not much of a woman if she let's this happen. she should be saying No,no and no.

[rucky]

1. Stupid. What would lack of prenatal care cost the state in the long run?

[Bigmack]

2. It's working....

The Beast that is government is being starved. Soon all of those social programs will dry up and the economy will be stimulated enough to make this country a paradise because people will be able to keep their hard-earned tax dollars.

Well... that's what I read - from lots of people - on every newspaper blog I can find.

We are fucked!

[foxfeet]

3. This is part of a proposed across-the-board 6% cut in ALL state agencies.

Because the legislature is not now in session, the Governor is limited to asking all agency directors to present her with a plan to slash the 6%. The cuts are not yet final. When the legislature convenes in January, they will have to pick and choose from among the proposed cuts or find new revenues to support state programs. It's not pretty any way you look at it.

The Seattle Times has continue a relentless campaign bashing public employees to whip up public support for cutting services.

[Odin2005]

4. That is just EVIL.

[WestSeattle2]

5. It's all macroeconomics....Their tax base are sales and property

taxes - property values plummeted, in some areas of the state by as much as 30-40%. Property taxes are being reduced. Wall Street stole billions in retirement funding, so state residents in their 40's and older, have reduced spending to save for retirement. That has created a crater in state revenue. Neither property tax or sales tax revenue will be increasing for the foreseeable future; in fact they haven't stopped falling yet. This is only year three of a 10-15 year austerity period.

As painful as these cuts are to many people, there are many, many more to come. City and county budgets are getting hammered as well; so there really is nowhere to turn. That's the reality. When I'm asked where I think this is headed, I tell people to look at what state government was like in 1975 (size and scope) - that's where we're headed back to.

If there's no money, there's no money. States can't print money. End of story.