NewGeorgia to apply for federal family-planning program

[Hot Pants]

Since the mid 1990s, more than half the states have saved their taxpayers millions of dollars on medical coverage of the poor by tapping into a federal family-planning program, but not Georgia.

On the eve of next month's legislative session when drastic budget cutting will start, several advocacy groups are wondering why Georgia has missed potential savings.


By extending limited Medicaid coverage to poor women in their childbearing years, the state can get the federal government to pay for 90 percent of the cost. Essentially, it means giving the women birth-control pills in an effort to avoid the roughly half of Georgia pregnancies that are unplanned.


Fewer pregnancies saves taxpayers two ways because these women would be covered if they were pregnant, and their babies would be covered the moment they're born. Plus, any pregnancy complications would also be covered.


A typical pregnancy can cost about $8,000, and a complication like a premature birth can run to $75,000, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy. Reducing pregnancies in South Carolina saved that state $23 million between 1996-97 and $19 million in Alabama between 2000-2001, according to the academy.


The program would also benefit women and their babies, according to Willis Lanier, past president of the Georgia OBGYN Society.
"It would help their overall health and reduce premature morbidity," he said.

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[Mandi Lynn]

So that's what it boils down to for them in Georgia...money. Not saving lives or helping women and children.

It's money. Boy, that makes me happy.