FOCUS. MAY 2024 Here we are again, in Court-watching season. During its current term, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on two cases that will significantly impact the abortion access landscape across the country. Yet another case challenging the very existence of Planned Parenthood is working its way through the federal court system. Opponents of abortion rights know they cannot win in the court of public opinion, so they’re trying to use the judicial system – targeting courts stacked with anti-abortion judges – to undermine democratic institutions and restrict reproductive rights. All of this legal maneuvering and the wave of abortion bans we have witnessed in over 20 states since the 2022 Dobbs decision are designed to take away control from the only person who should be making your personal decisions: you. These attacks all have the same end goal: banning abortion nationwide and making sexual and reproductive health care inaccessible. Period. And they are already having ripple effects in every single state across the country. In some places and for some communities, those ripples are more like tidal waves. But there IS hope. Here in Connecticut and Rhode Island, we can set an example. We need to be the states that show that when all people have real, meaningful access to the care they need and real agency over their bodies, lives and futures, whole communities become healthier, stronger, and can truly thrive. In states like ours, where abortion access is protected, we have an opportunity and an
obligation to demonstrate what is possible when meeting more of our communities’ needs. In this newsletter, you will learn more about how we are expanding access to abortion and contraception, connecting with more young people through innovative sex ed programming, and building deeper partnerships with communities to make care more accessible. As a safety net health care provider, PPSNE is committed to providing care, no matter what. But it takes real resources to live up to that promise. Roughly half of PPSNE’s Connecticut patients have public insurance. Nearly all of our patients struggle to afford daily necessities. And reimbursement rates for our care continue to lag far behind the skyrocketing costs of delivering care. For family planning services, our current reimbursement covers less than half of the cost of providing that care. For family planning services, our reimbursement covers less than half of the cost of providing that care. There are great challenges facing our patients, our organization, and our movement. But the opportunities to make a difference are also great. Your support truly makes a positive impact on the lives of so many people across our two states, and those who are counting on us from outside of our region. Thank you for being a part of our PPSNE community. We simply could not do our vital work without you.
Amanda Skinner
President and CEO Planned Parenthood of Southern New England