After state changes, undocumented residents are denied reproductive healthcare in clinics
This story has been updated with comments from a spokesperson for Gov. Bill Lee.
Undocumented Tennesseans are no longer able to access basic reproductive services like family planning and birth control at health clinics that formerly relied on federal Title X funding, Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi confirmed Thursday.
In early April, The Commercial Appeal reported the state of Tennessee had lost millions in federal funding for reproductive care meant for low-income individuals in metro areas and those that live in rural areas without access to healthcare infrastructure.
Tennessee lost Title X funding after falling out of compliance with a key requirement — Title X providers must provide all options for pregnant patients, including information about abortion access. No Title X funding was allocated for abortion services before Tennessee was decertified, but it was still a requirement that patients had to be informed.
Instead, Tennessee's new post-Dobbs policy stated patients "must be provided information and counseling regarding all options that are legal in the State of Tennessee."
That policy fell short of federal requirements.
To make up for the immediate loss in this funding, the state allocated $7.5 million in recurring funding and an extra $1.8 million in non-recurring funding to supplement the current fiscal year.
But because these services are now funded by state dollars, the state can dictate the terms. Ashley Coffield, the president and CEO of PPTNM, confirmed undocumented families and individuals no longer have access to these basic services under the new state rules.
Coffield was joined by Jennifer Pepper, the CEO of CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health, and Robyn Baldridge, president of Abortion Care Tennessee, Thursday for a press conference as the one-year anniversary of the fall of Roe v. Wade approaches this weekend.
With abortion no longer allowed in Tennessee, pro-choice groups said birth control is critical for maternal health and family planning.
Tennessee's new rule stipulating the denial of basic family planning services to undocumented Tennesseans has only been in effect since the spring. It's not yet clear how the consequences of the revised Title X rules will play out in metro areas with larger Latino populations or in rural areas with smaller Latino populations and scarce healthcare infrastructure.
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Already, Pepper said, the largest number of patients fleeing to CHOICES' clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, come from the tri-state area. Coffield added Planned Parenthood is advising against traveling to Tennessee if you are pregnant due to the risk of a lack of emergency abortion if needed.
A spokesperson for Gov. Bill Lee, Jade Byers, pointed to the decision as the government's and said policies for clinic operations complied with state law.
"Gov. Lee is fulfilling his commitment to serving families by dedicating state dollars to fill the void caused by the federal government’s decision. At the same time, we will continue discussing next steps with the Tennessee Attorney General’s office," said Byers.
Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering issues tied to education, access, and equity. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Tennessee denies undocumented residents seeking reproductive healthcare
