Planned Parenthood just lost $60M, but the battle to defund it is far from over

Despite Planned Parenthood’s recent loss of $60 million in Title X taxpayer dollars due to the corporation’s calculated decision to prioritize abortion over health of low income clients, Planned Parenthood is still likely to receive an estimated $500 million from other state and federal taxpayer programs. This month, the abortion corporation announced its exit from the Title X Family Planning program due to a refusal to comply with a new rule preventing taxpayer funds from going to organizations which commit or refer abortions, instead routing funds to other qualified providers. The continued $500 million Planned Parenthood gets in taxpayer funds is an estimated figure based on past research published by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Government Accountability Office (GBO), and Planned Parenthood’s own annual reports.

What the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found

In response to proposed defunding legislation in 2015, the CBO found that Planned Parenthood received approximately $450 million annually in just federal funds.

CBO broke the funding down to two main sources — Medicaid and Title X:

• $390 million is provided through the Medicaid program and less than $1 million is provided through the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Medicare program combined.

• Approximately $60 million is provided through the National Family Planning Program, which operates under Title X of the Public Health Service Act (commonly referred to as Title X).

Interestingly, the 2015 CBO analysis stated, “CBO estimates that the bill would not affect spending subject to appropriations because any discretionary grants, such as those made under Title X, that might otherwise have gone to Planned Parenthood would be awarded to other health clinics or medical practitioners.”

What the Government Accountability Office (GBO) found

A 2018 GAO report detailed direct federal funding from government agencies to Planned Parenthood between years 2013-2015. The pro-life Family Research Council analyzed the GAO report and concluded that federal government agency dollars (including Title X) to Planned Parenthood averaged out to approximately $500 million each year, as follows:

Various Agencies

Planned Parenthood spending from various programs including Title X family planning grants ($170.77 million between 2013-2015) and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program ($18.43 million between 2013 and 2015):

• $98.53 million (2013)

• $96.46 million (2014)

• $93.90 million (2015)

Average: nearly $100 million per year.

Medicaid Funding 

Medicaid is a federal program involving both federal and state funding. This federal program funded Planned Parenthood between 2013-2015, by over $1.2 billion averaging $400 million per year:

• $389.07 million (2013)

• $409.35 million (2014)

• $414.37 million (2015)

Average: $400 million per year.

In addition, FRC estimated that the total amount of taxpayer funds in federal programs that went to Planned Parenthood between 2013-2015 was nearly $1.5 billion.

• $288 million in federal grants, contracts, and reimbursements,

• $1.2 billion in Medicaid.

Planned Parenthood Annual Report

Each year Planned Parenthood publishes an annual report, which is generally a year or two behind the release date. The information details the corporation’s reported “services” as well as “revenue totals” which include government and private funds. Live Action News reviews these reports annually, including Planned Parenthood’s most recent report for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The most recent report revealed that PP received an increase in government dollars while actual health services plummeted. In addition, as the country’s overall abortion numbers show a decline, Planned Parenthood’s abortion numbers continued an upward trajectory.

• In 2017, PP received $563.8 in government funding an increase of 61% over the past ten years.

• PP then took in $365.7 million in non-government health service revenue and $630.8 million in private donations.

• An analysis by Live Action News found that in 2017, PP’s estimated abortion revenue reached nearly $200 million ($190.3), totaling 52% of PP’s non-government health services revenue.

• In 2017, PP’s total revenue exceeded $1.6 billion.

• In 2017, PP’s excess revenue over expenses totaled a whopping $244.8 million, nearly 149 percent increase from the year prior.

• In the past ten years (2007-2017), PP’s excess revenue has increased 188%.

• PP’s net assets for 2017 totaled nearly $1.9 billion.

Planned Parenthood excess revenue over spending 2000 to 2017

Despite the massive increase in taxpayer dollars, over the past 10 years (2007 – 2017) Planned Parenthood’s services and clients have continued to decline.

• Clients decreased 21%.

• Facilities dropped 32%.

• Contraception services dropped nearly 33%.

• Total cancer screenings fell nearly 68%.

• Breast exams fell 65%.

• Pap tests decreased nearly 72%.

• Prenatal care dropped 17%.

• Adoption referrals fell 42%.

• Total services fell 11%.

Why Does Planned Parenthood Get Tax Funding?

Tragically, Planned Parenthood’s own reports reveal that abortion continues to be a focus for the corporation:

• PP averages about 320,000 abortions a year — nearly 900 abortions per day.

• In 2017, PP committed 332,757 abortions, the highest number committed by the corporation since 2011.

• In the past ten years (2007-2017), abortions at Planned Parenthood have risen nine percent.

• PP garners approximately 35% of the total abortion market share.

• PP did one adoption referral for every 117 abortions, and offered just 9,000 prenatal services compared to over 332,000 abortions.

Planned Parenthood’s 2019 plan has vowed to focus on expanding abortion — and it seems the profitable corporation is doing just that. The fight to defund this abortion behemoth is far from over.

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