Due to the shutdown of one close by
Planned Parenthood
At the start of May, students from Utah State University located in Logan, Utah, encountered a daunting challenge when trying to get medical attention. This led to the formation of a carpool system so that individuals could travel on four-hour total journeys to reach a healthcare facility situated 50 miles distant, as reported by locals.
Raw Story
.
Bridget Ackroyd, a USU senior, mentioned that Logan feels “isolated” and “like its own separate world,” particularly because there’s no public transportation available to get to Ogden, which has the nearest remaining Planned Parenthood facility still operational.
The closure of the Logan clinic impacts students who might find themselves in family scenarios where they can’t afford to bill an STI test to their health insurance. However, they still prioritize maintaining their well-being and safety, as Ackroyd pointed out.
The Logan clinic is one of two Planned Parenthood health centers in Utah — among at least a dozen across the U.S., according to Raw Story analysis — to shutter since President Donald
Trump
took office and
froze federal funds
for family planning services.
“It’s incredibly disheartening that now we understand these individuals, who looked to us for support, must either undertake long journeys, postpone their medical treatment, or find alternative means to receive the healthcare they’ve relied upon,” said Shireen Ghorbani, the interim president of the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, speaking with Raw Story.
It’s a significant setback for these communities.
A late-March
freeze
On Title X grants – federal monies allocated for family planning services ranging from contraception to cancer screening and STI tests – merely marks the beginning of financial hurdles faced by Planned Parenthood clinics throughout the United States.
more than 300
Of its approximately 600 clinics nationwide that use Title X funding.
Suggested reductions to Medicaid within a large bill proposed by Republicans that
advanced
emerged from the House Budget Committee late Sunday but is still undergoing revisions.
negotiated between GOP factions
could target Planned Parenthood centers, which also get compensated through patients using Medicaid to pay for services.
The erosion of healthcare in this nation is unfolding right in front of us,” stated Ghorbani, “and with this latest budget… cutting Title X funding, along with decreases in Medicaid support, is pushing us towards an extremely grim future regarding accessibility to medical services, particularly for those at the periphery of society.
Planned Parenthood has forfeited over $20 million from Title X grants and around $6 million from the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program, according to Laurel Sakai, who serves as the national director of public policy and government affairs at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
“We completely expect that we’re merely scratching the surface, and under this administration, Title X funding could potentially be entirely eliminated,” Ghorbani stated.
‘Dismantling access’
The Planned Parenthood Association of Utah opted to close its clinics in Logan and St. George on May 2 following the Trump administration’s freeze of $2.8 million in Title X funding.
In 2024, the Logan clinic treated approximately 1,650 patients, whereas the St. George clinic catered to almost 3,000 individuals, as stated by Ghorbani. She also mentioned that around 18 employees were laid off from their positions.
Ackroyd, the USU senior, informed Raw Story that closing the Logan clinic represented a “loss” for students who utilized a sliding-scale fee structure rather than charging it to their parents’ insurance.
“If patients are seeking services such as a birth control prescription or an STI examination, and their parents could react negatively upon seeing these charges, this raises concerns about the security of those students who wish to obtain healthcare without informing their parents,” Ackroyd explained.
Alternative healthcare choices in Logan include Intermountain Health and the campus health centre, but both depend on insurance usage, according to Ackroyd. Additionally, she mentioned that patients often face long waits, potentially “for hours and hours.”
Ackroyd mentioned that at the Planned Parenthood facility in Logan, she managed to secure a same-day booking for an intrauterine device.
The Trump administration is eliminating access to essential healthcare services by limiting these funds,” stated Ghorbani. “This leads to a loss of medical care and job opportunities, all resulting from the policies implemented under the Trump administration.
‘Fundamental misunderstanding’
According to
health policy nonprofit KFF
Planned Parenthood gets one-third of its income from state and federal government funding.
However, due to the Hyde Amendment—a federal policy enacted in 1977—Planned Parenthood health centers cannot use any federal money for abortion procedures. According to KFF data, these account for only about 4 percent of the services provided at Planned Parenthoods’ facilities.
In its recently launched 2023-2024
annual report,
Planned Parenthood reported that out of over 9.45 million total services provided, 402,230 were abortion-related procedures, with approximately 34% of their income originating from government health service reimbursements and grants.
Nevertheless, towards the end of April, the House Speaker did this.
Mike Johnson
(R-LA)
announced
Defunding “big abortion” was one of Trump’s key policy objectives.
Sakai mentioned that the assaults on Planned Parenthood were “not particularly unexpected, given their efforts against us during the initial Trump administration.”
However, Sakai stated, “Planned Parenthood isn’t just an entry in the budget.” She added, “People specifically go to Planned Parenthood for the healthcare they require, and these individuals aim to deprive people of that right and option.”
Cara Schumann, who serves as the deputy director for federal strategies,
abortion
justice organization,
All* Above All
One out of every 11 women, especially those enrolled in Medicaid, receive their reproductive healthcare from Planned Parenthood clinics, as stated.
This indicates that reductions in Medicaid along with federal grants such as Title X and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program could result in a “double blow” for Planned Parenthood, she mentioned.
“This involves trying to cut funding from PlannedParenthood clinics for their reproductive healthcare services, including cancer screenings, STI tests, and fundamental contraception,” explained Schumann to Raw Story.
It appears to be mainly due to a basic misinterpretation of what Planned Parenthood offers, what healthcare entails, and what kind of services individuals require.
Sakai mentioned that Planned Parenthood was preparing to collaborate with “supporters in Congress” to “push back against these reductions” using every available resource. They aim to demonstrate that this move is not truly related to fiscal management or genuine worries regarding inefficiency, deceit, or misuse within the Medicaid program.
We understand their aim is to close health centers, and we’re aware that our clinics are working tirelessly to maintain healthcare within their local areas.
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