MSNBC's Mitchell: There's 'Anxiety' From Texas Women About 'Their Health Care' Thanks to Planned Parenthood Defunding
"There's a lot of anxiety for thousands of women in Texas today about their health care," MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell alarmed viewers of her 1 p.m. Eastern program today. "They're going to lose health care coverage this week, on Wednesday, when the Texas state legislature enforces a law cutting funds to any health care center affiliated with an abortion provider, and that means Planned Parenthood," Mitchell noted as she introduced the Daily Beast's Michelle Goldberg to elaborate. [emphases mine]
What commenced was a segment -- entitled onscreen, "Women's Health Under Attack" -- devoted to painting the decision by the Texas legislature as an assault on women's health care, even though the health care provided by Planned Parenthood clinics in Texas is far from comprehensive, as a cursory review of the organization's website clearly spells out.
Goldberg and Mitchell complained about the Planned Parenthood defunding in light of the fact that Texas has the highest percentage of women lacking health insurance of any state in the Union. Of course, women need health care that extends beyonds their reproductive systems, but the Women's Health Program that Goldberg is so concerned about is chiefly concerned with "family planning."
Planned Parenthood claims to offer "general health care" services at numerous clinics across the Lone Star State, but alas, its definition of "general health care" can be as narrow as simply offering cholesterol screenings, as is the case in the Abilene Perini clinic.
"We may refer you to a primary care physician if your test results are not in a healthy (normal) range," the website for that clinic notes. In other words, don't expect the proverbial country doctor to be on call in your average Texas Planned Parenthood clinic.
Other clinics, like the Planned Parenthood in Addison, Texas, provides more services, but still not comprehensive general medical care:
Addison Clinic offers the following general health care services:
- anemia testing
- cholesterol screening
- diabetes screening
- flu vaccination
- high blood pressure screening
- pregnancy planning services
And of course, those services, many of which you can get at the neighborhood pharmacy, are not necessarily free-of-charge:
Please contact this health center for general health care services pricing information.
Payment is expected at time of service unless other arrangements have been previously made.
Sure, Medicaid is accepted, but by not stretch of the imagination is the clinic a substitute for seeing a primary-care physician.
It appears that Goldberg also misled MSNBC viewers when she insisted that, "in Texas, the 14 Planned Parenthood clinics that do abortions are completely, administratively separate from the 51 Planned Parenthood clinics that provide other kinds of health care.... So one of the ironies here is this has left the abortion providers completely unscathed."
That seems true of most Planned Parenthood clinics in the state, however, a search of Planned Parenthood's site shows there are two clinics in Texas that offer both "general health services" and "women's health care" as well as "abortion services." They are:
- South Austin Clinic (operated by Planned Parenthood of Austin Surgical and Sexual Health Services)
- Planned Parenthood Babcock San Antonio (operated by Planned Parenthood Sexual Health Care Services)
- Ken Shepherd's blog
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Comments
Is it just me?
Submitted by bobsmom on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 6:24pm.
As a woman, regarding healthcare, I tend to spend way more time worrying about sinus infections, allergies, the flu, and strep throat. My reproductive organs, aren't at the top of my "every day to worry about list". If you listen to all this BS, you'd come away with the impression that other than contraception, and abortion, women are as healthy as horses and have NO need for any other medical access.
Andrea really doesn't need to sweat it, either.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 6:50pm.
All her organs are preserved in canopic jars in her home tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
;)
As is
Submitted by bobsmom on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 8:07pm.
the rest of her mummified body I would presume. LOL
Besides that
Submitted by KornKing on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 9:48pm.
Good thing she's got Al around because, Naaaah , you ever see a dog throw up?
As is.
Submitted by Herbster on Tue, 03/13/2012 - 10:16am.
This comment made my morning! Great stuff. By the way, Andrea M. had always (During her breeding days) practiced "Natural" birth control........one look at her face and "Naturally" the man would run off screaming into the night. Worked every time!
And Walmart and Wallgreens provides all of these services.
Submitted by acaiguana on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 6:27pm.
As you pointed out.
I don't believe you can get an abortion at either of the pharmacies.
ACA
...
Quoted from: 'Acaiguana notes from the Underground' (Soon to be at theaters near you)
Do these people not have use
Submitted by Shreve on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 6:40pm.
Do these people not have use of a health unit? Seems like, to me, they do diabetic screenings,etc, there for little or nothing.
Just the libs are anxious*
Submitted by cajun2 on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 6:41pm.
In 2009, there was 10.4 million women in Texas. About 300,000 of them had abortions. That leaves 10.1 million women not the least anxious and in fact, responsible independent women. We are talking about Texas ya' know.
Anxiety for thousands of
Submitted by celator on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 6:48pm.
Anxiety for thousands of women in Texas? (Billions would have been more dramatic Oh heck, let's go for a trillion) Name ten, Andrea. Name five. Name one. And no, don't name one who works for PP.
PRAVDA, courtesy of the Mummy
Submitted by Blonde on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 6:48pm.
Not an original thought in the old bat's head.
DNC talking points, straight up.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Andrea Mitchell
Submitted by Curly on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 7:47pm.
1st class nit wit!
Feminsts' War Against Men
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 8:20pm.
Sperm is dirty and causes disease in women. Helpless women need to be protected against men.
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
It's become almost impossible to tell the media from the DNC
Submitted by DaMav on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 8:26pm.
Advocacy now completely dominates the 'news'
Planned Parenthood never was intended as primary care.
Submitted by drsamherman on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 8:57pm.
A few of its clinics may have physicians who are not gynecologists, but even then the purpose of those clinics is reproductive health and not general medical management of patient health. Planned Parenthood employs nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) who do a lot of the limited medical management necessary for prescribing contraceptives, but they don't have the time, inclination or capacity to be general medicine providers. Good Lord...there are enough general medical sources in Texas to sink a battleship. We have medical schools and facilities all over the state intended to provide training to physicians and other health care professionals which are state-funded precisely for that purpose.
Planned Parenthood's target patient population is women (and to some extent men) of childbearing age who intend to avoid or terminate a pregnancy. Abortions are performed as surgical procedures per Texas law only by physicians possessing the appropriate training AND board certification AND licensure for those procedures. Prescriptions for contraceptives of various kinds can be written by an authorized prescriber, including non-physicians like nurse practitioners and physician's assistants. NPs and PAs cannot legally do abortion procedures, and they must be supervised by a licensed physician.
If, as Andrea *itchell says, the number of abortion providers has not effectively changed, then why all the ruckus? The Planned Parenthood clinics that do not provide abortion services can do nothing more than a few unsophisticated lab tests, breast cancer screenings (which do NOT include the gold standard diagnostic of mammography) and perhaps referrals to other specialists. As pointed out, a Minute Clinic in a CVS or the walk-up doc-in-a-box can provide the same services.
Again, you have the problem of idiot reporters who know nothing about medicine making claims that are grossly inaccurate and dangerous.
Bounty System
Submitted by kilrod on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 11:57pm.
I believe the 51 clinics that do not do abortions collect a bounty for each abortion client they refer to the 14 clinics that provide the killing. If cutting the State administered funds will close pp clinics, then maybe the less referels to the abortion mills, the less killings.
kilrod "the Birther"
If an unborn child cannot trust you, why should I,??