AccessMatters strongly opposes the final rule, “Compliance With Statutory Program Integrity Requirements,” published in the Federal Register on March 4, 2019. The rule drastically changes Title X – the nation’s family planning program – and threatens public health by imposing requirements that jeopardize confidentiality for patients and trust between patients and providers, eliminate access to unbiased and comprehensive pregnancy options counseling, and interfere with the patient-provider relationship. Thanks to the commitment of Attorney General Josh Shapiro and his staff, Pennsylvania has joined 20 other states in a lawsuit to oppose this dangerous rule.
Since its inception almost five decades ago, AccessMatters has served as a steward of the Title X family planning program in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Our network of 20 family planning healthcare provider organizations serve over 100,000 people with patient-centered, high-quality care at over 70 sites in the five-county Greater Philadelphia region. This rule threatens to take that consistent level of care and access away.
The rule undermines the standard of care that has been a hallmark of the Title X Family Planning Program for close to 50 years. As steward to one of the nation’s largest Title X networks, AccessMatters is steadfast in our commitment to preserving and protecting this important public health program. We join our colleagues, providers, and patients across the country to challenge this rule and defend this important program.