Title X rule change led to 1,000 clinics leaving the funding network

A new analysis from the Guttmacher Institute finds that the Trump administration’s changes to the Title X program has meant that nearly 1 in 4 sites relying on funding through the program have had to leave the network. Here’s more: 

• The context: In March last year, the federal government finalized a rule saying that health centers and providers who receive Title X funding can no longer perform abortions or refer patients to abortion providers. Nearly 4 million low-income individuals rely on these sites for other care, including cancer screenings and birth control.
• Services affected: Nearly 1,000 clinics — or 1 in 4 Title X sites — left the program due to the changes, cutting the network’s capacity for treating patients by almost half. Nearly 1.6 million patients who rely on contraception through Title X will likely be unable to get the medication. 
• The outlook: The new rules go into effect at the beginning of March, and the report’s authors say it’s likely that more clinics will have to forgo Title X funding if the rules are fully enforced.