Letter from members of Congress to John Edward Porter (Chairman, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services), March 31, 2000, regarding support for Title X of the Public Health Service Act (7 pages)

Congress of the United States Washington, DC 20515 March 31, 2000 The Honorable John Edward Porter Chairman Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services Committee on Appropriations 2358 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Porter We are writing to express our support for one of our nation's most effective public health programs - Title X of the Public Health Service Act. In Fiscal Year 2000, the Title X program received $239.5 million. The President's Budget for 2001 includes a $35 million increase for the program, bringing total funding to $274.5 million. We strongly urge you to include this proposed increase in the FY 20001 Labor/HHS appropriations bill. For nearly three decades, the Title X family planning program has been a critical safety net provider for low-income Americans. By offering comprehensive, voluntary family planning services to millions of poor and low-income women at the over 4,500 Title X-funded clinics nationwide, women are given access to basic preventive health care and the means to determine when and whether to have children. The Title X program provides a full range of contraceptive services and other basic health care services including gynecological exams, basic lab tests, screenings for STDs and HIV, high blood pressure, anemia, and breast and cervical cancer. Each year, the Title X funded services provided to 4.3 million women help avoid one million unintended pregnancies, approximately half of which would end in abortion. Moreover, Title X services are cost-effective. Research shows that for every public dollar spent to provide family planning services, over $3 are saved in publicly funded medical costs alone. The proposed increase in funding will ensure that Title X clinics are able to continue providing these high-quality reproductive health care services to millions of low-income women and men, many of whom are uninsured. As the FY2001 appropriations process begins, we are looking forward to working with you in support of increased funding for Title X services in the Labor/HHS Appropriations bill. The positive impact that the Title X program highlights the critical importance of continued support for the program in the future. However, Title X clinics are able to serve less than one-quarter of the women and men in need of subsidized contraceptive care. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER A funding increase in the FY 2001 budget will not only allow Title X clinics to reach out to additional women in need of subsidized care, but also cover the rising costs of contraceptives (particularly the longer-lasting more effective methods), pap tests, and state of the art medical technologies. It will also allow clinics to enhance the range of HIV services they provide to at-risk women and men. Please consider the health and safety of women, men, the needs of at-risk youth, and the dire situation of the 44 million Americans who are uninsured and millions more who are underinsured in this country - all of whom desperately need the services that Title X programs provide. Without an increase to Title X funding, the women who are most in need may not be able to receive essential health care services. Again, thank you for your exceptional leadership in the field of family planning. We look forward to working with you for many years to come. Sincerely, C ( 2 (