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Planned Parenthood of NY was already facing financial woes. Then came the election.
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Nov 17, 2024
Modified Nov 18, 2024
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YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Nov 17, 2024
Modified Nov 18, 2024
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New York’s Planned Parenthood chapter, forced by financial troubles to close reproductive health clinics on Staten Island and outside the city in recent months, is bracing for more budget strain after President-elect Donald Trump and the new GOP-led Congress take power in January.
Wendy Stark, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, said the organization is strategizing to secure added support from the state government and donors in anticipation of the new Trump administration and Republican control of the House and Senate. In addition to potential threats to abortion rights and access, the change in leadership could mean cuts to federal funding for health care providers that offer abortions.
“We will look in every direction for the answer to the challenges that we're facing right now,” Stark said in an interview.
The political and financial challenges come as Planned Parenthood of Greater New York says it is experiencing heightened demand for abortions — up 50% via the organization since the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that established a constitutional right to an abortion.
At the same time, Stark said, the Planned Parenthood chapter hasn't experienced any spike in donations since Trump’s re-election.
“We have not yet seen the kind of immediate post-election rage-giving that we did [when Trump was elected] in 2016 or after the fall of Roe v. Wade, but we do believe that our donors will step up to the plate,” Stark said. Trump has said he opposes a national abortion ban; at the same time, his Supreme Court picks helped form the majority that overturned Roe v. Wade, which stood for nearly 50 years.
The organization was facing ongoing financial troubles even before the election, and has had to cut some services in addition to the clinic closures.
Stark said she was already planning to advocate in the upcoming state budget session for Medicaid to raise its rates to address rising medical expenses, including the cost of wages and supplies, which she said skyrocketed after COVID-19.
She added that the organization will “continue to look to our incredibly generous donors to meet the moment.” But now, she said, she also expects to have to work with state lawmakers to fill in any federal cuts that might come down the pipeline.
“We may have to make additional difficult decisions, depending on what happens under the new presidential administration,” Stark said.
Since the election, anti-abortion rights advocates have released a “Make America Pro-Life Again Roadmap” that lays out a range of strategies to undermine access, including through lawsuits and federal and state measures such as a ban on prescribing abortion medication via telehealth.
"There’s the policy question (going forward) of what we can do to limit the most amount of evil, do the most good, and move the ball down the court,” Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said in a post-election interview reported by Politico.
During Trump’s first term, the Planned Parenthood chapter and other health care providers lost $14.2 million in federal family planning grants when Trump issued his so-called “gag rule” banning recipients from even mentioning the option of abortion to their patients, let alone performing the procedure.
At the time, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York and others affected were able to recoup the losses through a state contingency fund set up under then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Stark said she’s hopeful the state will once again take steps to replace any federal dollars that are lost. But she said she fears there will be new strategies employed to cut public funding to abortion providers this time around. The gag rule, which sparked protests in New York City, has since been reversed by President Joe Biden, but Trump could reinstate it.
Gov. Kathy Hochul did not respond to a request for comment Friday on whether she is prepared to replace lost federal family planning funding or other potential cuts affecting abortion providers.
But the state has already established the Abortion Provider Support Fund, which has distributed $100 million so far, including to Planned Parenthood. And Hochul said after Trump’s re-election that she would seek to address any federal funding cuts affecting health care or other priorities in the state budget.
Cadence Acquaviva, a state health department spokesperson, said the Hochul administration "remains committed to advancing our public health priorities, including the protection of abortion access and reproductive rights and continued support of the many dedicated health care providers across New York state."
Other public and nonprofit health care providers also face potential losses that may need to be made up with state and local dollars. NYC Health and Hospitals, which is also a major provider of abortions and other reproductive health services, refused to comply with Trump’s gag rule in 2019, rejecting $1.3 million in federal family planning grants. The city replaced the money.
Rose Duhan, president and CEO of the Community Health Care Association of New York State, said she believes some clinicians at local nonprofit health centers continued counseling patients on abortion and making referrals to abortion providers while the gag rule was in place but simply stopped documenting it to avoid risking funding.
“There's things that are going to happen in an exam room that aren't going to be written down,” Duhan said.
Others working to ensure abortion access in New York also say they are still seeing heightened demand.
The New York Abortion Access Fund helps cover the cost of abortions — and, if needed, travel or lodging expenses — for those who can’t afford them. The fund also benefited from “rage giving” after Roe fell, but donations have since fallen off and there’s been just a small post-election boost so far, according to Chelsea Williams-Diggs, the fund’s executive director. The group has gained support from New York City, although it has to be reimbursed after paying for care, which can be a challenge, she added.
The group went from supporting about 400 New Yorkers and out-of-staters in need of abortions in 2020 to more than 2,500 people last year. Changes at the state level have contributed to increased demand, such as Florida’s decision to ban abortions after six weeks, which took effect in May, Williams-Diggs said.
“We are holding on strong for now, or relatively strong, and we’re able to support folks,” Williams-Diggs said. “But, again, the future is uncertain.”
This story has been updated to include comment from the state Department of Health.
Tagged
Health and Science
abortion rights
planned parenthood
new york
donald trump
Caroline Lewis
Caroline Lewis is on the health care beat for WNYC and Gothamist. She has covered COVID, a nurses' strike, the overdose crisis and New York’s marijuana legalization effort, and spent a year investigating patients' medical bills. She always wants to hear about how everyday New Yorkers experience the health system. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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