Sponsored by: Rep. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio) and Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio)
Summary: HB 892/SB 594 were identical bills that would have directed the Department of State Health Services to provide more resources to outreach and marketing efforts for Texas family planning programs, particularly the Women's Health Program (WHP), to increase enrollment in the programs and help more women in the state access affordable, preventive health care. HB 892/SB 594 would have also required outreach efforts to focus on identifying and enrolling low-income women who have recently been pregnant and do not have health insurance. Update: Another version of HB 892 replaced the original bill while in committee. The substitute version mirrored Prevention Works! and would have increased outreach and marketing efforts to eligible low-income women in need of health care through the WHP. The bill did not emphasize outreach efforts to focus on recently pregnant women.
HB 892/SB 594 were identical bills that would have directed the Department of State Health Services to provide more resources to outreach and marketing efforts for Texas family planning programs, particularly the Women's Health Program (WHP), to increase enrollment in the programs and help more women in the state access affordable, preventive health care. HB 892/SB 594 would have also required outreach efforts to focus on identifying and enrolling low-income women who have recently been pregnant and do not have health insurance.
Update: Another version of HB 892 replaced the original bill while in committee. The substitute version mirrored Prevention Works! and would have increased outreach and marketing efforts to eligible low-income women in need of health care through the WHP. The bill did not emphasize outreach efforts to focus on recently pregnant women.
PPNT Position: Strongly Support - HB 892/SB 594 would have helped to prevent unintended pregnancies and improve the health and wellness of low-income women who otherwise can not afford health care. By increasing enrollment in family planning programs, Texas could have saved taxpayers money and alleviated pressure on the public health services. The WHP is a Medicaid-sponsored family planning program for adult women who do not qualify for other government funded family planning programs - but who wuld qualify for Medicaid prenatal and delivery care if they were to become pregnant. The WHP helps these women avoid unintended pregnancies in the first place and prevent health conditions that may become expensive or dangerous to treat. At the time of its passage, LBB projected that the WHP would save Texas taxpayers $467 million over 5 years through the reduction of unintended pregnancies to participants in the program. Unfortunately, only 3% of eligible women are currently enrolled in WHP because of the state has failed to invest appropriate resources in outreach efforts. HB 892/SB 594 would have increased enrollment in an effective and cost-saving program, thereby increasing access to health care and family planning services and ultimately saving our state public health dollars.
Strongly Support - HB 892/SB 594 would have helped to prevent unintended pregnancies and improve the health and wellness of low-income women who otherwise can not afford health care. By increasing enrollment in family planning programs, Texas could have saved taxpayers money and alleviated pressure on the public health services.
The WHP is a Medicaid-sponsored family planning program for adult women who do not qualify for other government funded family planning programs - but who wuld qualify for Medicaid prenatal and delivery care if they were to become pregnant. The WHP helps these women avoid unintended pregnancies in the first place and prevent health conditions that may become expensive or dangerous to treat. At the time of its passage, LBB projected that the WHP would save Texas taxpayers $467 million over 5 years through the reduction of unintended pregnancies to participants in the program.
Unfortunately, only 3% of eligible women are currently enrolled in WHP because of the state has failed to invest appropriate resources in outreach efforts. HB 892/SB 594 would have increased enrollment in an effective and cost-saving program, thereby increasing access to health care and family planning services and ultimately saving our state public health dollars.
Latest Action: 5/12/2009 - HB 892 substitute version was left pending in House Calendars committee. 4/28/2009 - SB 594 was left pending in Senate Health & Human Services committee.
5/12/2009 - HB 892 substitute version was left pending in House Calendars committee.
4/28/2009 - SB 594 was left pending in Senate Health & Human Services committee.
Recorded Votes: 4/9/2009 - HB 892 substitute committee vote (passed 5-0, 4 absent). PPNT supported this bill. Absent Rep. Byran Hughes (R-Mineola)
4/9/2009 - HB 892 substitute committee vote (passed 5-0, 4 absent). PPNT supported this bill.
