Aug. 5—CONCORD — The state’s largest provider of family planning and abortion services said its regional parent is facing a projected $8.6 million deficit over the next three years because of restrictive New Hampshire laws and the Executive Council’s refusal to support state grants for the organization.
Nicole Clegg, interim CEO of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, said during a virtual briefing last week that without additional support, the agency will be forced to “change how and where” it offers services.”
“PPNNE is a nonprofit health care organization with a mission to provide free and discounted services to all who need it,” Clegg said.
“We don’t turn people away. But without us, the most vulnerable people in our communities could face catastrophic health outcomes, including unplanned pregnancies and worsening pregnancy outcomes, higher rates of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, and increased rates of cervical and breast cancers.”
Jason Hennessey, president of N.H. Right to Life, said he’s not surprised the group has fallen on hard times.
“Extreme organizations that push to legalize aborting healthy seven-, eight- and nine-month children don’t deserve to be bailed out by the taxpayer,” Hennessey said.
“Planned Parenthood should offer services that people really want. Planned Parenthood could seek to empower the many women who want to choose life for their child instead of just offering abortion to them.”
During the briefing, public affairs vice presidents Kayla Montgomery (New Hampshire), Lisa Margulies (Maine) and Jessica Barquist (Vermont) detailed the bleak picture, adding that a “significantly broken health care system” and “endless political attacks” are the main drivers for their budget woes.
Montgomery said COVID-19, inflation, insufficient reimbursement rates and an increased demand for their free and discounted care have worsened the financial situation.
Flashpoint in governor’s race
Over the past four years, the Executive Council rejected five state contracts for reproductive health care totaling $1.3 million.
A majority on the Republican-led council has cited a state budget rider in 2021 that expressly instructed the state to not approve family planning contracts with state dollars to any programs where abortions are performed.
Outgoing Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who approved of the contracts, time and again has lobbied without success for the councilors to approve the contracts.
The issue is clearly a political one in the current race for governor.
While in the U.S. Senate, Republican front-running candidate Kelly Ayotte of Nashua voted to defund Planned Parenthood. Her GOP primary rival, ex-Senate President Chuck Morse of Salem, also has opposed Planned Parenthood.
In September 2023, Ayotte said she supported funding reproductive health care centers but said she would not renew funding to Planned Parenthood because it is “the largest provider of abortions in the country and also it’s really somewhat of a political organization.”
Ayotte said she would devote more state resources to community health centers to provide these services to women.
All three Democratic candidates for governor, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington of Concord, former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Newmarket restaurant owner Jon Kiper, support restoring grants to Planned Parenthood.
Some federal relief
In early 2022, U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., led an effort to convince the Biden administration to approve about $500,000 in emergency federal relief to Planned Parenthood and two other abortion providers in the state. That replaced some, but not all, of the cuts in state grants.
Clegg said those caught in this crossfire are the most vulnerable of women.
“The patients who stand to lose the most include those who have low incomes, people of color, young people, people without a dedicated primary care physician, uninsured or underinsured people, those living in rural or medically underserved communities, and women, LGBTQ+ people, and people from out of state seeking essential medical care from where abortion or gender-affirming care is banned,” Clegg said.
“Put simply, we are a safety net for patients who struggle the most, providing high-quality, affordable, and often free health care services.”
Planned Parenthood operates 15 health centers across the three states with clinics in Derry, Keene, Exeter and Manchester.
Of the 11,223 New Hampshire patients they served over the past three years, nearly 60% of those were from low-income families.
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Publish date : 2024-08-05 11:51:00
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