Ohio state regulations may force Planned Parenthood to close its only clinic in the state, which just happens to be the only abortion clinic in Cincinnati. It goes to show that state and federal regulations work and is another example of Planned Parenthood’s dedication to abortion and not its patients.
In many ways, 2019 was a tough year for Planned Parenthood. Between the firing of former CEO Dr. Leana Wen and a strong pro-life legislative movement, a lot has been going wrong for the abortion business. Ohio is the latest example.
In 2013, the state legislature passed a law that would require abortion clinics to have a written agreement with local private hospitals to admit patients that are experiencing abortion complications. The state budget currently prevents “public hospitals from entering into such agreements with abortion clinics.” It’s a commonsense piece of legislation that would protect women in the event of a medical emergency.
Planned Parenthood was able to skirt this issue by obtaining a variance, which allowed the clinic to provide the state with a list of doctors who were willing to treat the abortion clinic’s patients in the event of an emergency.
That’s worked for a while, but in December Planned Parenthood asked the state for 30 days to find a replacement for one of the physicians it previously used for the variance. If the clinic fails to find an alternative, then the clinic’s license will be revoked.
The loss of the Cincinnati Planned Parenthood would be a major blow to the organization. The abortion business has already closed two non-abortion clinic locations in the state on Sept. 20 last year. Neither of those clinics provided abortions.
The clinics closed as a result of Planned Parenthood’s decision to decline Title X funding, which is a federal program that covers family-planning services like birth control, gynecological exams, cancer screenings, STI/D testing and more. Title X does not cover abortions, and the new 2019 Title X regulations required abortion businesses to separate their healthcare practices from abortion. Of course, Planned Parenthood chose abortion over its patients.
Perhaps what’s even more interesting is that Planned Parenthood seemingly closed the two other non-abortion clinics without expressing any concerns for the supposed loss of women’s healthcare access.
As explained yesterday in The Daily Citizen, Planned Parenthood’s sole focus is no longer healthcare but abortion. This situation in Ohio proves that.
The CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio Region, Kersha Deibel, argued that, “These closures are the result of years of attacks on our ability to provide reproductive healthcare. Ohio politicians have passed 22 anti-reproductive health measures in recent years, including a defunding bill that went into effect earlier this year. Then came the changes to the Title X program, from an administration that has made it clear that it wants to force out trusted health centers that provided evidence-based, comprehensive reproductive healthcare.”
But that’s a mischaracterization. The “reproductive health measures” she’s referring to likely are in reference to abortion regulations, not simply reproductive and health services. Those clinics didn’t close because of non-abortion related reproductive regulations, but because Planned Parenthood cares more about abortion and the bottom line then they do their patients.
Planned Parenthood has until late January to find another doctor. If it doesn’t, then expect a lengthy legal fight as the abortion business scrambles to keep its doors open in the Buckeye State. Planned Parenthood may be fine with its non-abortion clinics closing, but the same can’t be said for its abortion clinic.