Contraceptive services have plummeted after a “shutdown” hit clinics

Visits to Planned Parenthood clinics for contraception and cancer screenings dropped by double digits after Congress passed a law last year cutting off Medicaid funding to some reproductive health care providers, according to a novel report. Democratic Congressional Report.

The report indicated that between July 1 and the end of December, the distribution of emergency contraception dropped by 10%, the distribution of oral contraception dropped by 27%, and the number of intrauterine devices dropped by 10%.

Republican members of the House and Senate passed a sweeping budget reconciliation bill in July that included a provision for one year prohibiting clinics from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursement if they offered abortion services and billed Medicaid for more than $800,000 in fiscal year 2023. This rule largely concerns Planned Parenthood due to the high dollar amount, but it also affected some huge independent clinics such as Maine Family Planning and Health Imperatives in Massachusetts.

Since July, Planned Parenthood reports that 20 clinics have been forced to close due to cuts. This was added to the numerous clinics that had to close after the loss of Title X funding and other factors, bringing the total number of clinics last year to 51. The report indicated that almost 75% of these closures occurred in rural, medically underserved areas. About half occurred in the Midwest, including Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, and affected about 25,000 patients.

“Nearly all, 48 of the 51 facilities closed between January and December, offered primary care, and almost half were in areas with primary care shortages,” the report said.

The decline in services has intensified in recent months. The report also noted that there were 20% fewer visits for birth control pills in November and 36% for IUDs in December, the largest decline of any service measured. Some clinics have reported not offering the IUD because it is an high-priced contraceptive device that was typically covered by Medicaid, but it is also the most popular and preferred form of birth control.

The report found that breast cancer screening visits dropped by 25% in December and STD testing dropped by 11% in November, which could result in delayed treatment and increased overall health care costs.

The report found that twelve states committed their own funds to facilitate close the gap from federal cuts to Medicaid, amounting to about $300 million. That covers it CaliforniaColorado, ConnecticutHawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, MaineNevada, New Jersey, New MexicoNew York, OregonAND Washington. But Planned Parenthood supporters say that still leaves significant shortfalls because health centers across the country provided about $700 million worth of care annually to Medicaid patients before the law took effect.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat representing Oregon and a ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, said at a news conference Thursday that he would strongly oppose any reconciliation efforts that would make indefinite cuts.

“We’re here to tell people who oppose women’s access to health care, under no circumstances. It’s not going to happen in my time on the Finance Committee, period. It’s not going to happen,” Wyden said.

Federal law already prohibits providers from using federal dollars to pay for abortion care, with constrained exceptions. Medicaid dollars cover all other types of care provided by the clinics, including contraception, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and screening for breast and cervical cancer. Maine Family Planning also provided primary care to approximately 1,000 patients across the state, but it was necessary stop this program in October due to cuts.

“The report makes clear that closing all Planned Parenthood offices and facilities does cost money, and once they are closed, they cannot simply be brought back to life,” U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat representing Hawaii, said at a news conference Thursday morning. “But once they close, people will still need this type of care, so they will use other providers or go without, resulting in undiagnosed illnesses and health care needs.”

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America and two of its affiliates filed a lawsuit to block the law, but the effort was unsuccessful. Republicans in Congress have signaled the goal is to extend the cuts and make them indefinite, as indicated in a statement from the Republican Studies Committee framework for the next draft budget reconciliation billreleased in January.

A coalition of major anti-abortion organizations, including Live Action, Heritage Action, National Right to Life and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, signed a letter sent to House Republican leaders calling on them to immediately begin the reconciliation process and make the cuts indefinite.

“Since the enactment of the 2025 Conciliation Act, many abortion providers have already closed facilities or reduced operations, demonstrating the tangible impact of the defunding provision,” the letter reads.