The Trump administration froze $1 million in funding for Planned Parenthood in Alaska at the end of March, according to Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Alaska’s regional Planned Parenthood alliance. She said programs in 12 states are impacted by the freeze.
The funds are through the federal Title X program, which covers family planning and preventive reproductive health care for low-income families. The funding can’t be used for abortions.
Gibron said if the funds aren’t restored, healthcare for Alaskans will suffer.
“We're talking about cancers going undiagnosed,” she said. “We are talking about people not having access to annual wellness exams. Sexually transmitted infection rates will spike, so this is a program that absolutely must be protected at all costs.”
According to reporting from Politico, the administration froze funds for possible civil rights violations related to diversity, equity and inclusion or DEI initiatives. And, because the clinics serve people regardless of immigration status, the letter freezing funds pointed to an executive order prohibiting using taxpayer funds for undocumented immigrants.
Gibron said Planned Parenthood will operate as normal in the state for now, while they evaluate next steps in the courts. A representative for the organization wrote over email that they are “looking at everything possible to ensure Alaskans do not lose access to the essential health care they need and deserve.” The two centers see about 5,600 patients in person in the state per year and Gibron said about half their patients use Title X funds.
There’s only one other provider in the state that uses title X funds, Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic in Homer.
Gibron said Planned Parenthood is examining legal options and will push back.
“There are not other providers who will be able to absorb the number of patients with low income who are in need of sexual reproductive health care,” she said. “So we are going to fight this every step of the way until these funds get released.”
Gibron said Planned Parenthood was notified March 31, two days before they were supposed to receive the funds, that the money wouldn’t be available.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic is in Kenai. It's located in Homer with pop-up services in Kenai.
