Planned Parenthood Still Thrives on Taxpayer Funding

The reversal of Roe v. Wade doesn’t seem to have hurt their purse strings.

Planned Parenthood has so far weathered the storm of political backlash against abortions, flourishing despite laws in some states limiting or reducing access to the procedures. In fact, PP has been performing more abortions and getting more federal funding, even while other services, such as testing for sexually transmitted diseases and screening for breast cancer, have dropped.

Planned Parenthood Thriving

Ironically, Planned Parenthood released its 2023-2024 annual report on Mother’s Day. Titled “A Force for Hope,” the document stated that the organization had provided 402,230 abortions during that time frame, which was nearly 10,000 more than in the previous year – and a record high.

So, who is paying for all these procedures? The taxpayers, of course. According to the report, public funding increased by about $100 million from the year before. Paying $792.2 million, we the people fronted nearly 40% of the organization’s revenue.

While abortion procedures continued to climb despite the overturning of Roe v. Wade, other critical services declined. Michael New, a senior associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, told the National Catholic Register that taxpayers “are paying more money for more abortions and less health care.” New, also an assistant professor of practice at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America, said that “during the past 10 years, Planned Parenthood has done 54.4% fewer cancer screenings and 62.8% fewer prenatal services. Meanwhile the number of abortions that they have performed has increased by over 22%.”

According to the fact sheet released by Planned Parenthood, during the fiscal year, they had 2.08 million patients and performed:

• 4 million services
• 365,600 pap tests and breast exams
• 2 million birth control services
• 1 million STI tests and treatments
• 402,200 abortions

The Charlotte Lozier Institute reported that, in 2022-23, “96.9% of the time, women seeking help related to their pregnancy at Planned Parenthood were sold an abortion rather than given prenatal care, provided care for a miscarriage, or helped to make an adoption plan.” Furthermore, “prenatal services, miscarriage care, and adoption referrals accounted for only 1.7% (7,008), 0.9% (3,598), and 0.5% (2,148) respectively.”

“From a Catholic perspective it is frustrating that the taxpayer dollars from countless faithful Catholics go to an organization that funds abortion, contraception, transgender treatments, and other activities that weaken families and undermine a culture of life,” New told the Catholic Register.

Plans in Motion to Defund PP

House Republicans are proposing changes to the Medicaid program, among other measures, that could remove funding for services at clinics that perform abortions, such as those run by Planned Parenthood.

Interestingly, a KFF tracking poll found that one in three women (32%) say they have gone to a Planned Parenthood clinic for care, and 43% of those aged 18 to 64 used Medicaid as their coverage. The average age for patients ranged from 30 to 64, with non-Hispanic Blacks making up the largest group at 45%. Non-Hispanic whites had the next highest patient counts at 30%, followed by Hispanics at 28%. And if you want the breakdown by political party, Democrats visited the most with 41%, then independents at 29%, and Republicans at 21%.

According to a Gallup Poll, as of May 2024, 50% of Americans felt abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances; 35% said the procedure should always be legal, and 12% said it should not be under any conditions. The numbers have changed a bit since Gallup first started keeping track in 1975. Back then, 21% of poll takers said abortion should be legal under any circumstances; 54% said only under certain conditions, and 22% said it should be completely illegal. At a time when other vital health services at Planned Parenthood are declining, the fact that abortions are on the rise – as well as taxpayer funding for them – makes it clear where the organization’s priorities lie.