New administration and Congress leadership renews target on Planned Parenthood funding

Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, as well as a local legislator and a public health professional are vehement in their opposition.

"This fight is about everyone we serve," said Wanda Savala, public affairs manager of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky (PPINK). "We call on our senators and representatives and we urge our supporters to do the same."

PPINK oversees Northwest Indiana Planned Parenthood centers in Gary, Hammond and Merrillville. The center in Gary is a Title X-funded health center and the Hammond and Merrillville locations are self-sustaining, according to Ali Slocum, director of communications and marketing.

In a CNN interview Thursday, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the Planned Parenthood clients and the funding should be directed to federal community health centers.

PPINK received $1,194,213 in Title X funds for 2016 for Indiana and $184,494 for Kentucky. It received $2,677,912 in Medicaid revenue for Indiana and $148,497 for Kentucky.

U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-1st, said the furor over defunding the organization is based on a false premise.

"I want to be absolutely clear, the federal government does not provide funding for abortions," Visclosky said in an emailed statement. "I also would add that in addition to family planning services, Planned Parenthood provides a variety of essential medical services, including cancer screenings, HIV tests, and physical exams, to both women and men. Planned Parenthood, as with every health care provider, receives reimbursements under private health insurance, as well as under Medicare and Medicaid, for the medical services they provide.

"It is deeply unfortunate that there are continued attempts to defund Planned Parenthood and I am adamantly opposed to such proposals. At a number of Town Forums this past week, residents voiced their legitimate concerns and fears regarding the House Majority's proposal to defund Planned Parenthood," he said.

On the other side, however, Bishop Donald Hying of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary, reminds that the Catholic faith forbids the practice.

"Although Planned Parenthood offers some good and needed services, any financial support of this organization is still an assistance to the abortion industry," Hying said in an email. "Instead of financing Planned Parenthood, the federal government should be financially assisting other medical services providers who are not tainted by the violence of abortion, where possible."

Dr. Roland Walker also serves as the Gary health commissioner. He said he's also concerned about the potential defunding of Planned Parenthood.

"They get targeted for abortion, but there's also cancer screenings and women's health care in general. They provide umbrella services communities rely on. It is short-sighted. I don't think it should be a political agenda fight. It is more important to service the needs of a community," said Walker. "I'm strictly about the health and wealth of a community. To impinge on the rights of individuals to please a constituency is not right."

Until December, PPINK also had a Title X-funded center in East Chicago, and a center in Valparaiso. East Chicago merged with Gary and Valparaiso merged with Merrillville, according to Savala.

Many have shown their support of PPINK by making donations in the name of Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who has called for an end to the federal funding and signed legislation as governor of Indiana that made it harder for women to receive abortions. As of Jan. 10, the Indiana affiliate counts 11,328 donations since the election — and 52 percent — or 5,921 donations were in Pence's name, according to Slocum.

In 2016, Lake County Planned Parenthood centers served a total of 9,290 patients, including 732 men. About 46 percent were white, 37 percent were black, 20.5 percent were Hispanic and 17 percent were other. Nearly 8,000 were 20 or older and about 1,400 were 19 and under, according to data provided by PPINK. About 59 percent of the patients were at or below 100 percent of the poverty level; 67 percent were at or below 150 percent of the poverty level.

The centers provided 1,065 Pap tests, 4,420 chlamydia and gonorrhea tests, 1,658 HIV tests, 9 HPV vaccines and 2,531 pregnancy tests, according to Planned Parenthood. The centers also distributed a variety of contraception.

According to Slocum, PPINK is one of 11 Indiana Title X providers and "serves in areas where it would be difficult, if not impossible to find other providers."

Hying agreed that there should be care available.

"In instances and places where Planned Parenthood is literally the only provider of medical services, the government should perhaps review these situations on a case by case basis, making prudential decisions to ensure the proper and needed health care of our people," he wrote. "Elective abortion is not health care."