The Death of Family PACT?

Family PACT is a California family planning program that provides reproductive healthcare for the uninsured and under-insured of California. Because these women and men have access to birth control that they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford, this program has reduced unwanted pregnancies by almost 300,000 - averting over 122,000 abortions - and has saved the state almost $6 billion (from conception to age five; the cost of healthcare and the raising of a child is about $20,000). That doesn't even include the savings and disease prevention/cure from STI testing and treatment...

On June 30, 2010, the waiver for Family PACT will need to be renewed. The Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Service (CMS) needs to approve a waiver (a legal thing) for the federal government to fund this program.

The cost per year (in 2007 it was about $438 million) is offset by the federal government, who pays almost 2/3 to California. Every dollar that is spent on Family PACT saves almost $14.

Pay $438 million, save $6 billion. It's a great program and keeping it going is a no-brainer, right? Wrong. Governor Scharwzenegger's current budget proposal cuts funding to Family PACT reimbursements which means that some clinics will close because the medical staff won't be reimbursed for services. And if California can't get the federal funding, then the entire program will be scraped, which ultimately will cost the state that 6 billion... There's an old adage that goes "Cut off your nose to spite your face."

Bottom line for The Clinic!? It could close.