Pro-life watchdog group Live Action released a series of undercover phone calls Wednesday exposing Planned Parenthood of Indiana as not being the only place women on Medicaid can get health care — despite Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards’ claim that if Indiana de-funded Planned Parenthood it would “take away health care from thousands of women in Indiana.”
“According to Planned Parenthood’s own statistics, their 28 clinics serve less than 1% of Indiana Medicaid patients, yet they do more than 50% of Indiana abortions,” said Live Action President Lila Rose. “There are over 800 other Medicaid providers available to these women in the counties with Planned Parenthood clinics alone.”
Live Action staged an undercover investigation last week, calling 16 of the 28 Indiana Planned Parenthood clinics and acting as women on Medicaid fearful for what they would do if Planned Parenthood lost funding. Staff at all 16 of the clinics explained to the women that they would not lose their health care.
“Your primary care doctor should be able to do [a Well Woman exam], I mean, that’s what they’re there for,” said one Planned Parenthood staffer in Michigan City.
“They have the same services we have,” said another Planned Parenthood staffer in Merriville.
Live Action argues that there are plenty of other outlets for women on Medicaid.
“I know in our group, we currently have capacity to see more patients and I’m sure many other groups could easily take care of the 1% that’s left if Planned Parenthood no longer took care of those patients,” Dr. Geoff Cly, at the Northeast Ob/GYN Women’s Health Group in Fort Wayne, Indiana told Live Action.
The sting comes just after an Indiana judge placed a stay on a recent law preventing Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. The Obama administration has attempted to intervene on behalf of the organization by threatening the state’s $5 billion in federal funding to provide health insurance for the poor and disabled.
In response, Live Action has launched a petition in opposition to the administration’s opposition to de-funding Planned Parenthood.
“Today we launch a ‘Stand with Indiana’ petition exposing Planned Parenthood’s deception and demanding that President Obama revoke his intervention on their behalf,” said Rose. “Planned Parenthood has lied in covering up sex trafficking and statutory rape, lied about abusing taxpayer dollars, lied about mammograms, and now lies about Medicaid — all in the interest of protecting the taxpayer subsidies of their abortion business. States and their citizens no longer want to fund this corrupt organization.”