ACOG Opposes CMS Decision Excluding Qualified Medicaid Providers

Washington, DC—Maureen Phipps, MD, MPH, FACOG, chief executive officer of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), issued the following statement regarding the decision by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to approve Texas’ request to receive federal Medicaid funding that excludes physicians and other clinicians who provide abortion care:

“CMS’s decision sets a troubling precedent that threatens women’s access to quality health care, including well-woman exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings, HIV testing, and family planning. This action violates well-settled law that requires states to include ‘any willing provider’ in Medicaid programs as a condition of receiving federal dollars. No state should be allowed to discriminate against physicians and other medical professionals qualified to deliver care.

“Every day, obstetrician-gynecologists see the harmful impact that restricted access to health care has on women and communities. Policymakers need to prioritize the health of women over political ideology. The Administration should reverse its decision.

“ACOG, the nation’s leading organization of physicians dedicated to the health of women, has always been committed to fighting political interference and restrictions on access to health care. ACOG opposes any effort to exclude qualified providers, including Planned Parenthood health centers, from participating in Medicaid and other federal health programs.”

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