As Planned Parenthood reportedly battles financial difficulties on the East Coast, one of the corporation’s affiliates has decided to temporarily stop committing late abortions in the state of New York — allegedly as a cost-saving measure.
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (with facilities in Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire) recently reported that it expects to experience an $8 million deficit over the next three years; the affiliate said if the situation doesn’t improve, it will potentially be forced to close facilities or halt some of its “services,” like abortion. Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) is evidently feeling the financial strain as well; Wendy Stark, the president of PPGNY told The New York Times that financial constraints have resulted in the closure of four facilities along with executive pay cuts and consolidated job functions. The organization is also cutting back on its services – including halting certain abortions.
The City reported that beginning September 3rd, PPGNY will no longer commit abortions after 20 weeks due to budgetary issues. Women will also no longer be given the option of deep sedation for IUD insertion. The outlet also noted that a recent op-ed co-authored by Stark claimed that the “state legislature’s failure to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for abortions has put a strain” on Planned Parenthood because “[m]ore than 50% of patients at Planned Parenthood health centers rely on Medicaid, according to the organization.”
A reporter for The City spoke to a patient who said Planned Parenthood had already ceased providing deep sedation to patients on July 31st, without informing women who already had appointments scheduled. Therefore, those patients did not know their procedures could be significantly more painful. Though Planned Parenthood denied that it neglected to inform patients of this change, it did admit to The City that it would be halting late abortions altogether for now.
Abortions are permitted in New York through 24 weeks for any reason, and after 24 weeks, they can be committed if the preborn baby is diagnosed with a fetal abnormality deemed “incompatible with life,” or if the mother’s physical or mental health is at risk… essentially meaning that abortions can be committed through all nine months of pregnancy.
In addition, the New York state budget gives over $30 million each year to abortion businesses. The state forces religious organization to fund abortions, and the state’s citizens may choose to make the killing of preborn children a constitutional right this November.
