Senator Tammy Baldwin Joins Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin to Warn of Looming Cuts
Milwaukee, Wis. – At a virtual media briefing hosted by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI), U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and organizational leaders outlined the dangerous consequences of the federal budget bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, which would block Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood health centers. The effort is part of a statewide month of action focused on warning Wisconsinites of what is at stake if this legislation passes.
“This bill would devastate access to essential health care for over 50,000 Wisconsinites,” said Tanya Atkinson, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. “We would be forced to close health centers, lay off dedicated staff, and turn away patients who rely on us for cancer screenings, STI testing, birth control, and more.”
“Every Wisconsinite deserves access to quality care at a price they can afford. Republicans’ plan would put that goal further out of reach, gutting essential health services that our neighbors rely on to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to stand with Planned Parenthood against Republicans’ attempt to rip away sometimes lifesaving care from working Wisconsinites, just so the wealthiest Americans can get richer.”
Speakers emphasized that the bill’s passage would disproportionately harm women, people of color, rural residents, and low-income families across Wisconsin. In the absence of PPWI, there is no other health system in the state that can absorb the tens of thousands of patients who rely on this care each year.
As a health care provider, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin bills insurance providers, including Medicaid. Medicaid, or BadgerCare in Wisconsin provides insurance to qualified individuals who do not receive employer-based insurance. In Wisconsin, approximately 1.2 million people are enrolled in Medicaid.
The briefing featured powerful remarks from a PPWI health center manager and a field organizer who shared on-the-ground realities of what losing the ability to bill Medicaid insurance would mean. PPAWI is currently engaged in a statewide month of action to mobilize supporters and raise awareness about what’s at stake.
Since the bill passage in the U.S. House of Representatives, supporters of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) have called over 65,000 Wisconsinites to inform them about the potential bill passage in the Senate and its impacts on health care in the state. There are planned PPAWI events in Racine, La Crosse, Madison, and Milwaukee in the coming weeks along with weekly virtual phone banks. PPAWI is also planning door-to-door advocacy and has produced ads that will run in the Milwaukee media market. PPAWI organizers and volunteers have organized and attended more than 20 events all over the State and have reached thousands of people including at Pride, Juneteenth, No Kings and farmers markets.
