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Trump administration freezes $8M in family planning health care grants for low-income Tennesseans • Tennessee Lookout

The Trump administration suddenly suspended an estimated $8 million federal grant on Monday that provides family planning, cancer screening and preventive care to low-income Tennessee.

Since the second half of 2023, more than 30,000 Tennessees have access to healthcare through affected organizations.

Planned Parenthood has announced that nine of its affiliates, including affiliates that fund planned custody in Tennessee and Northern Mississippi, have been funded under that funding. Title X Grant Program It will be suspended until further notice.

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson said Tuesday that he was “concerned about the compliance of multiple recipients,” which received a total of $27.5 million in the TitleX fund, a total of $27.5 million. The department evaluates all Title X grant recipients for compliance with federal law and President Donald Trump’s executive orders. No final decision has been made.

The TitleX program supports affordable basic healthcare, birth control, STI testing and treatment, and cancer screening for more than 50 years, the planned parent-child relationship of Tennessee and Northern Mississippi president and CEO Ashley Cofield said Tuesday.

The withdrawal of the TitleX Fund will raise the costs for those who are already facing barriers to access healthcare, she said.

“We will do our best and provide care as much as possible without reimbursement,” Coffield said.

The Trump administration is targeting the Planned Parenthood Family Planning Grant

The suspension notification is from Mississippi-based organization Converge, Inc. It was also sent to. 2023 Title X Fund Provides low-cost and non-cost reproductive health care to Tennessee. According to the organization, Converge has served approximately 12,000 patients through 33 Tennessee health centers.

In a letter to Converge, HHS cited Converge’s official statement, “a commitment to addressing systematic racism.” This is the basis for a compliance review under the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin.

The department also evaluates compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive orders, including “Open Border End Taxpayer Grants.”

“The delay in Title X funding is a day that patients in Mississippi and Tennessee go without warning,” said co-founder Jamie Birdwell. “This creates a cascade effect throughout the South and disrupts access to basic healthcare services. These disruptations lead to increased negative health outcomes, including a higher percentage of unintended pregnancy and STIs.”

HHS did not share a timeline for compliance reviews.

Converge “exemplifies compliance with the requirements outlined by the HHS and complies with this administration’s order,” Bardwell said. “People’s lives depend on that.”

The lives of real people will suffer.”

The Title X funds were distributed to two organizations after the Tennessee Department of Health. I was kicked out of the program Violated the terms of the grant by refusing to provide patients with “nondirected” counseling, including abortion after the state enacted abortion ban. The state health department previously received about $8 million from the program.

In the 16 months after the organization received the grant, planned custody in Tennessee and Northern Mississippi served 21,989 patients and recorded 22,263 visits in Tennessee. Organizations pay attention to the size of their slide fees based on family size and income.

According to Coffield, Planned Parenthood received $3.8 million last year to provide services in Tennessee. Converge received it in 2024 for just under $8.4 million to provide services in Mississippi and Tennessee. HHS records show.

The TitleX Grant funding cycle is scheduled to end on March 31st, with renewals beginning on April 1st. Over the past few years, the organization would have told us a few weeks ago what funding levels would be expected next year. Instead, they received a letter informing them of the funding freeze – the first communication they received under Trump’s second administration.

The Trump administration and Elon Musk appear to be alleviating anti-abortion supporters and targeting basic health care that has nothing to do with abortion. As a result, the lives of real people will suffer.

– Ashley Cofield, Planned Parenthood in Tennessee and Northern Mississippi

Choices Center for Reproductive Health, a Conclege Sub-Grantee, is Walk-in Clinics in Memphis In addition to other testing and treatment services, we offer birth control, emergency contraception, pregnancy confirmation, optional counseling and HIV testing.

“Option is heartbreaking at the loss of key Title X funding, a funding that provides family planning and wellness services that are particularly important in places like Tennessee.

Coffield said the freeze has caused unnecessary chaos, confusion and anxiety in patients.

“It appears that the Trump administration and Elon Musk are alleviating anti-abortion supporters and targeting basic health care that has nothing to do with abortion,” she said. “As a result, the lives of real people will suffer.”

Planned custody in Tennessee and Northern Mississippi will work to continue to provide affordable care without assistance from Title X funds in the event of permanent losses.

“We will do everything we can to continue to support people with the care they need, being affordable, being free to come to their choice providers, not being forced to receive basic care from the Trump administration and Elon Musk,” Coffield said.

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