ACOG Opposes Administration Attempt to Reduce Access to Medicaid Primary and Preventive Care

Washington, DC—Haywood L. Brown, M.D., president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), released the following statement in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) January 19, 2018 letter to state Medicaid directors rescinding 2016 guidance protecting access to qualified providers:

“The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) strongly opposes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) invitation to states to deny Medicaid coverage to low-income Americans who receive primary and preventive care from qualified providers, including Planned Parenthood.

“ACOG is dedicated to fighting political interference in the practice of medicine. The Trump administration’s latest tactic will leave many patients and their families with nowhere to turn for needed health care.

“Every day, ob-gyns see the harmful impact that unequal access to health care has on women and communities. Our message to politicians is simple: Don’t turn back the clock on women’s health—stay out of our exam rooms.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, ACOG strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. www.acog.org