HARRISBURG, Oct. 28 – State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, and state Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks, co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus, today called for the Corbett administration to take action to extend the federal 1115 Family Planning Waiver, SelectPlan for Women. The waiver is set to expire Dec. 31.

The caucus and other legislative supporters sent a letter to state Human Services Secretary Beverly Mackereth earlier this month, seeking an extension of the waiver through at least 2015. The letter stated that potentially thousands of women will go without access to family planning services currently provided by the SelectPlan waiver as coverage under Healthy PA begins Jan. 1.

“Basically all the administration has to do to protect coverage for thousands, and perhaps tens of thousands of women, is write a letter. But even with the clock ticking, it hasn’t done that or bothered to explain why,” Schwank said. “These are important health issues that need to be resolved for women before they lose coverage, not afterward.”

Currently, the SelectPlan for Women waiver provides crucial family planning health services to nearly 90,000 predominantly low-income women across Pennsylvania annually. Services provided by the waiver include gynecological exams, emergency contraception, screening and treatment for various sexually transmitted infections, and breast and cervical cancer screenings. It does not cover abortion services, since no public dollars are allowed to be used for them in Pennsylvania.

“I have serious concerns about this situation. The thought of ending coverage for tens of thousands of women and forcing them to reapply manually for Healthy PA is mind-blowing,” Frankel said. “This administration cannot continue to erect barriers to health care for low-income women. It should automatically give lower-income women HealthyPA coverage that includes comprehensive family planning services. For higher-income women, it should extend SelectPlan so they do not lose access to their current medical providers as they transition to another plan.”

The letter also stated that the SelectPlan waiver has been effective in reducing the annual federal and state Medicaid expenditures for prenatal, newborn and infant care since its implementation in February 2008.

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A copy of the letter is HERE.