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2010 Legislative Priorities <\/span><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

RMC is dedicated to preserving laws that support the common-sense Republican values of limited government and personal freedoms.  We know that personal decisions are better made at home than by the government.  RMC continues to concentrate on common sense solutions to the problems we face today including family planning and prevention initiatives to reduce the incidence of unwanted pregnancy and the need for abortion.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

State Eligibility Option for Family Planning Services<\/span><\/span>
\n<\/u><\/b><\/span>Gives states the option of providing, during a presumptive eligibility period, Medicaid coverage for family planning services and supplies to individuals who are not pregnant and whose income does not exceed the highest income eligibility level for pregnant women established under the state’s Medicaid or SCHIP programs. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Currently states that want to expand family planning services to their populations through waivers have to go through an arduous bureaucratic process that usually takes two years. Twenty-six states, including Mississippi and Texas, have already appealed for the waiver. This measure is currently in the President’s proposed budget and will likely be inserted in any moving vehicle and\/or the next healthcare legislation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The waiver would expand Medicaid-funded family planning services by:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • giving states greater flexibility to determine which benefits are covered and eligibility;
    \n <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • creating new classes of individuals who can apply for Medicaid-funded family planning services that are currently excluded such as college students and families without dependents; and
    \n <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • no longer mandating states use parental or spousal income to determine eligibility for Medicaid-funded family planning services.
    \n <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The Office of Management and Budget scored the provision included in the President’s budget as a savings of $190 million over 10 years.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


    \n<\/span>W<\/span><\/b><\/u>hy is expanding Medicaid-funded family planning services important?<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Publicly funded family planning prevents 1.94 million unintended pregnancies each year, thereby averting 860,000 unintended births and 810,000 abortions.<\/span><\/span><\/u> In doing so, it saves four dollars in Medicaid pregnancy-related expenditures for every one dollar invested.
      \n <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Of the 36.2 million women in need of contraceptive care in 2006, 17.5 million were in need of publicly funded services and supplies because they either had an income below 250% of the federal poverty level or were younger than 20 years of age.
      \n <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • The number of women in need of publicly funded services increased by more than one million (7%) between 2000 and 2006. This number is expected to continue to grow. <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n

      REAL Act -Responsible Education about Life Act (S 611)
      \n<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/u><\/span>Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states for family life education that includes compreshensive sex education programs to help reduce teen STD rates.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Appropriates $50 million for four years<\/span><\/span>.<\/li>\n
      • Programs must fulfill following requirements:<\/span><\/span>\n
          \n
        • Medically accurate, age appropriate
          \n <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Stress abstinence but without ignoring the fact that young people are and will be sexually active
          \n <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Provide health benefits of contraception and barrier methods
          \n <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Encourage family communication about sexuality
          \n <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Teaches young people to make healthy decisions about sexuality
          \n <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Why is expanding medically accurate, comprehensive sexual education so important?<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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