TEXAS DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS SEND LETTER TO ENSURE MEDICAID PATIENTS CAN ACCESS PLANNED PARENTHOOD HEALTH CENTERS

On Monday, a group of Democratic members of Congress from Texas issued a letter urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to enforce Medicaid's free choice of provider requirement and require the State of Texas to reinstate Planned Parenthood as a qualified Medicaid provider.

Rep. Lizzie Fletcher led her colleagues in issuing the letter, which was signed by Reps. Lloyd Doggett, Colin Allred, Sylvia Garcia, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Veronica Escobar, Joaquin Castro, Al Green, Marc Veasey, and Sheila Jackson Lee.

"As you are aware, patients in Texas who use Medicaid have been unable to access basic and critical reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood for almost a year because of the baseless and continued termination of Planned Parenthood Texas affiliates ("Planned Parenthood providers") from the Texas Medicaid program," read the letter, which was addressed to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and CMS Deputy Administrator and Director of Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Daniel Tsai. "As members of the Texas Congressional delegation, we are deeply concerned and alarmed by this unlawful action by the State of Texas, and we request that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) fulfill its duty to ensure health care access for people with low incomes and enforce Medicaid's free choice of provider requirement immediately."