Tasteless tactics
by Bethany Kerr
Planned Parenthood of Arizona is issuing discounts for their services, according to an article at The Wildcat Online.
A coupon for $10.00 off of any purchase $25.00 or more is being issued in the Spring 2008 coupon bonanza, to any new patients.
I’m assuming this coupon includes abortion services, something which Planned Parenthood supposedly wants to be “safe, legal, and rare“, as it does not exclude it from the coupon.
The Wildcat Online makes some good points about this story….
There’s no need to get into an abortion debate, or a birth control debate or a promiscuity debate. Everybody, except perhaps presidential candidates and the occasional retarded penguin, has a firm position on these oft-beaten dead horses. The issue is that a $10 off coupon from Planned Parenthood Arizona (PPAZ) is tacky and tasteless. More importantly, the coupon raises questions about the organization, its mission and how much students should be willing to trust Planned Parenthood with their health.
The coupon claims that PPAZ is “a comfortable place to go for honest information and compassionate care.” Sounds like an organization that wants all people, regardless of income or class, to have the opportunity (or, the “choice”) to access Planned Parenthood’s goods and services. Why, then, must PPAZ’s product be discounted in the first place? Sure, zany places like Whipped can get away with heaving, obscene markups on cupcakes, but a healthcare provider marking up services enough to subsequently discount them? By giving a coupon, PPAZ implicitly acknowledges its profit making potential within the bounds of its non-profit status (which doesn’t prohibit profit, but mandates that profit stay within the organization).
Planned Parenthood describes itself as “a trusted health care provider, an informed educator, a passionate advocate and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world.” It supports lobbyists, receives millions in federal budget money every year (even approved by President Bush under Title X), funds campaigns to educate on sexual health and provides services ranging from Pap smears and diabetes tests to abortions.
In other words, it’s got its hands in every sexual health cookie jar. If PPAZ is pushing a product, why should a consumer trust the claims more than they would trust a Chevrolet salesman’s pitch? When Planned Parenthood tells students they need to be checked for sexually transmitted diseases, if they’re sexually active, is it any more objective than the dealer saying that you need leather seats in your new car? Should anyone trust a salesman to give them objective, unbiased information, especially in a health-oriented industry like Planned Parenthood’s?
Looks like Planned Parenthood of Collier County has the same idea:
And Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio:
And Planned Parenthood of Chicago:
These coupons are obviously meant to entice new customers into Planned Parenthood.
This isn’t the first time Planned Parenthood has used tactics such as these to lure people in.
In 2006, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate offered an iPod to anyone who made an appointment at PPGG:
Not to mention, they had ads to give out free movie tickets if you “tell a friend” about their services:
These business tactics of Planned Parenthood, which is supposed to be a non-profit organization, are extremely tasteless.
[HT: Valerie Ryan]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
When Planned Parenthood tells students that they need to be checked for sexually transmitted diseases if they’re sexually active, is it any more objective than the dealer saying that you need leather seats in your new car?
Jill, if there’s risk of having an STD, why not get checked?
Anyway, if things got a little messy on those leather seats, the CDC says scrub ’em with soap and hot water.
Doug
Oops! Sorry Bethany!
How incredibly unprofessional and cheezzzyy.
I wonder why no other OB/GYN clinic does this. Maybe I should suggest it to my Dr. They could offer up new Kitchen-aide mixer if you come in before May 1st. Or better yet refer 2 friends and get a cerificate for a spa day. Gotta go, I’m going to call their office right now.
Yes, it’s so TERRIBLE that PP actually markets its services. Just awful. Shame on them for using those dreadful coupons to encourage women to get health care.
This is possibly one of the dumbest posts I have ever seen, with quite possibly the lamest, most unsupportable complaint ever made.
I don’t understand the objection. If a dentist did this, no one would care.
Dentists don’t kill babies, Hal..abortionists do that.
Last time I noticed, Dentists don’t perform abortions, Hal. There’s a big difference.
Doug, no problem…
it’s not just STD’s, the coupon mentioned in the article gave 10 dollars off any service over 25.00, which obviously would include abortion.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppaz/Our-Health-Services.htm
Doug –
Here’s what gets me….in the PP yearly reports they do not seperate STD’s testing and STD’s treatments. They only tell us how many were tested for HIV and then give a huge number for testing and treatments combined for all the other STD’s (with treatment of HIV included in that number) They seperate everything else out, but not that. Ever wonder why? 93% of all their clients are either tested for a STD or treated for an STD or both. Take the statistics given by the CDC this means that Planned Parenthood is doing some unnecessary testing.
Anonymous –
Title X provides low/no income people with free reproductive health care and has been doing this since it was signed into law in 1970 by Richard Nixon. Every service with the exception of abortion that planned parenthood provides is available free of charge through Title X. By the way, Planned Parenthood receives money from Title X alone with our tax money.
So…….. why do they have to give discounts if they are already providing services for free to the people who cannot afford it?
Info on Title X from the Center for Reproductive Rights:
In 2004, Title X funds supported 2.8 million Pap tests, 2.7 million breast exams, and 5.4 million tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including 530,000 HIV tests (AGI, 2005a).
Title X has made a tremendous impact in the lives of millions of women. Over the last two decades, services provided at Title X-funded clinics
prevented 20 million unintended pregnancies and nine million abortions
helped to prevent 5.5 million adolescent pregnancies. (Without Title X, there would have been 20 percent more teen pregnancies during this time period.)
provided an estimated 54.4 million breast exams and 57.3 million Pap tests, resulting in the early detection of as many as 55,000 cases of invasive cervical cancer
(Gold, 2001).
Among women who have never married, public family planning funds prevent approximately 888,200 unintended pregnancies, 421,900 abortions, and 356,200 births
Among single-parent adolescents aged 15-19, publicly funded family planning prevents 385,800 unintended pregnancies, 154,700 teenage births, and 183,300 abortions
In total, publicly subsidized family planning services, of which Title X is the core, prevent 1,331,100 unintended pregnancies and 632,300 abortions
(Forrest & Samara, 1996)
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I’ll ask again….why the coupons if they are getting money from Title X and our tax money to help those who cannot afford health care?
I don’t think people should put a price on health care but I will say I think PP was thinking more about those poor unfortunate people who can’t afford health care. If the USA had universal healthcare then coupons wouldn’t be necessary.
PP also offers FREE care sometimes/someplaces.
I have to agree with anonymous though. This is quite a dumb post.
I honestly don’t know why the coupons, since I don’t work for their marketing department.
However, I think I could make a guess. Yes, PP’s services are provided on a sliding scale, and are thus already discounted for those who need the discounts. However, a lot of people need encouragement to go to the doctor for checkups. I think that offering coupons or incentives is a way to provide that encouragement for people to go in and get health care.
You, of course, see this as a bad thing, since it’s Planned Parenthood providing the health care. Most other people probably don’t. Frankly, I think they deserve kudos for thinking of innovative ways to get people in to get checked out.
…and one other thing, although I made an attempt to answer valerie’s question, please don’t read that as any sort of endorsement of this post having any actual substance.
Erin –
Please see my above post.
Universal Health care?
Lets see……….
the government gives a specified dollar amount to each hospital. They do not get any more money. If someone comes in needing something expensive, say cancer treatment, the hospital can only provide services for X amount of people. If you are diagnosed after that X amount has been fulfilled you have to wait until the following year, that is if there isn’t already a waiting list.
Why do you think Canadian come here for their health care? Why do you think a high risk pregnant woman had to be transported here to deliver her twins (posted here a couple months ago)? Because the hospitals run out of funding and cannot provide care to these people.
the only people who would be able to get treatment immediately are the people who can afford to pay out of pocket or people who can afford to pay for private insurance.
Exactly how does this help the low income?
Sounds like it only benefits the rich why all the lower income have to wait to get treated.
“Last time I noticed, Dentists don’t perform abortions, Hal. There’s a big difference.”
That’s my point, you’re just upset that they do abortions, not that they are marketing their services. I still don’t see the reason for this objection.
Hal –
Please show me another not for profit government funded health agency that gives out coupons.
Why don’t they just advertise, like they already do, and make the discount available to everyone all the time and not just a select group of people. Handing out flyers and providing information about their low to no costs services would be sufficient enough to get people to go in for care.
The coupon makes women reproduct health care on the same level as Wal Mart. The only “medical” places that give out coupons are the elective medical treatments. Plastic Surgery. Corrective laser eye surgery. Last time I checked, I don’t think a Pap and a Breast exam was elective. This is because the prices of the plastic surgeon and eye doctor have prices that are inflated to begin with. Does this mean that Planned Parenthood’s prices are inflated for them to do this too?
I actually do not see a problem with this at all. In fact, I find it VERY encouraging. You mean, people arn’t beating down the doors to get appointmens at PP so they need to use coupons to lure them in? Come on, guys..cheer up. This is GREAT news!
the only people who would be able to get treatment immediately are the people who can afford to pay out of pocket or people who can afford to pay for private insurance.
As opposed to the US, where people of all incomes have immediate access to treatment. I’d rather wait for an appointment than…not get one at all. Besides, my sister lives in a country with a national health service and has never had to wait any longer for anything than she had to wait when she lived here in the US and had better-than-average private insurance.
I think it’s a good thing if it encourages more people to go. Also, some people are low income enough to be on a sliding scale but at a place on it that makes their payment higher than they can afford easily. Too often things that don’t seem urgent can take a back burner to say, a serious illness or injury.
Anyone interested…
I found this, which I found interesting.
If you can believe this – I think it is a unbiased report on universal health care!??
http://www.balancedpolitics.org/universal_health_care.htm
(you will have to copy and paste – the settings on my computer make it so I can’t post links…have no idea why! and my computer geek of a hubby hasn’t had time to fix it!)
Valerie, it’s actually not your computer..the problem is that your links are missing the http:// at the beginning of the URL. (unless your computer is deleting them or something, but I think that’s what the problem is).
hope this helps you!!
I don’t know about you folks, but I would LOVE to get $10 off my yearly exam or my birth control! What a deal!
Regarding Title X: There is a pretty low income threshold for those who qualify for Title X. I qualified when I was in college (and I DID get free services from PP for about 2 years), but I don’t any more. And since I don’t qualify any more, I really would appreciate said coupon to make reproductive healthcare more affordable. :)
I chose my current dentist because of a coupon in the back of the yellow pages offering 50.00 of my cleaning. If he had offered me an ipod, it would have been even better!!
What’s the difference betweent that and using a coupon for a pap smear??
I really don’t see the point of this post…
What an excellent idea?
College students are more likely to be sexually active, and less likely to be insured.
Anything that would encourage them to stay free of STDs and unwanted pregnancies is an investment in their future.
(By the way, Head Start is a government sponsored program that offers coupons for discounts on parental co-pays.)
Should anyone be surprised that the abortion supporters don’t understand the point of the post? lol
ABORTION IS MURDER, NOT HEALTH CARE.
Another anon at 4:28…i’m reposting Valerie’s statement since it fits…
“Why don’t they just advertise, like they already do, and make the discount available to everyone all the time and not just a select group of people. Handing out flyers and providing information about their low to no costs services would be sufficient enough to get people to go in for care.”
The coupons don’t say “10$ OFF ONE ABORTION” so take a chill pill.
That’s a good point. Obnoxious makes the allusion to the fact that PP does lots of other evil besides abortion. There are many, many reasons to oppose this evil organization. God love you.
“Should anyone be surprised that the abortion supporters don’t understand the point of the post? lol”
You may not be surprised, but could you explain it. Why is it a bad thing to offer this discount?
We can’t even argue about this one, as we don’t understand your point. “Abortion is bad,” ok, we get it. A discount on abortion is worse, why?
That’s a good point. Obnoxious makes the allusion to the fact that PP does lots of other evil besides abortion. There are many, many reasons to oppose this evil organization. God love you.
Posted by: Bobby Bambino at February 4, 2008 6:01 PM
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Oh, do elaborate-
“lots of other evil?”
Laura,
I recommend “Blessed Are the Barren: The Social Policy of Planned Parenthood” by Robert G. Marshall and Charles A. Donovan, and “Grand Illusions: The Legacy of Planned Parenthood” by George Grant. These books go document all the atrocities that this evil organization has been a part of. Very mind blowing. God love you.
Hal –
Not to be condiscending, but I can’t help it.
I will try to speak slowly so you understand.
We are dealing with a non-profit organiation that made a profit of over 50 million dollars in 2006. We are dealing with a non-profit organization that gets over 300 million dollars in tax money. We are dealing with a non-profit organization that get money from Title X.
Why don’t they just lower their prices? They have the money. They can make flyers and advertise in other ways to get people to get proper health care and they could make the discounts available to EVERYONE and not just a select group. If you didn’t notice the discount is only for newbies. Most college newbies going to Planned Parenthood would already be under the Title X program and would be getting services for free already. Don’t you think PP know this? It is a scam. Do you really think people are actually saving money on this?
I used to work for a vet hospital that gave discounted prices for a “vacinnation package” for your pet. Wanna know how they did that? They upped the prices of other procedures. You really think a company that makes over a 50 million dollar profit doesn’t know how to make money?
This is yet another example of women being exploited and the so-called feminist are applauding and yelling “bravo”! When in actually it is a multi-million dollar corporation taking advantage of women.
Get it know?
OOps –
forgive all the tpyose! My daughter helped me type that! ;-)
Bethany – I have to take the http:// part off so my computer will allow it to go through posting. It is some sort of child safetly feature, which I can’t figure out how that is going to provide safetly?
That’s a good point. Obnoxious makes the allusion to the fact that PP does lots of other evil besides abortion. There are many, many reasons to oppose this evil organization. God love you.
Posted by: Bobby Bambino at February 4, 2008 6:01 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, do elaborate-
“lots of other evil?”
Posted by: FetusFascist at February 4, 2008 6:29 PM
I think I can take this one…..PP offers education and reproductive health services (including that satanic contraception!) that provide an affordable means for women to take control over their bodies and choices and futures. ….and as you have been told, that’s evil.
Nice, Anon!
Thank you, I’ll be here all week. Try the veal, and don’t forget to tip your waitress.
Yum!
This is yet another example of women being exploited and the so-called feminist are applauding and yelling “bravo”! When in actually it is a multi-million dollar corporation taking advantage of women.
Get it know?
Posted by: valerie at February 4, 2008 7:04 PM
Ummmmm, except that the services that PP offers are still on a sliding scale, meaning that the women who truly can’t pay a whole lot, still don’t pay a whole lot. So who is getting exploited exactly? The women who are getting affordable health care? The women who were enticed into actually getting a checkup by a clever marketing campaign? Gee, how terrible!
I’m starting to get the impression that you think that the $10 off coupon is specifically targeting women who are considering abortions. If you really think that, I’m lauging even harder at the stupidity and senselessness of this post.
And btw, how is it bad that PP operates in the black? All that means is that they make enough money to (a) hire and pay good people, and (b) make enough money to reinvest in their mission. Good on them for being responsible fiscal operatives. If they were constantly running in the red, you’d hound them for that too.
I say make preventative health care or at highly reduced prices.
By having easier and cheaper access to preventative health care, people are less likely to wait forever until a really small problem becomes a really HUGE expensive problem. If people don’t get sick (or if they get sick, it gets caught earlier), less money overall is spent as simple treatments are much cheaper than complex ones.
“I say make preventative health care or at highly reduced prices.”
Merde, that should say, “I say make preventative health care universal or at highly reduced prices.”
I’m starting to get the impression that you think that the $10 off coupon is specifically targeting women who are considering abortions. If you really think that, I’m lauging even harder at the stupidity and senselessness of this post.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, yeah…
$375.00 abortion, NO!
$365.00 abortion, I am THERE!
I’ll ask again….why the coupons if they are getting money from Title X and our tax money to help those who cannot afford health care?
Valerie, to help women and girls get the care and information they need..
Doug and Anonymous –
*sigh*
I’ll try again.
Read the article.
The coupons are going to college students.
The majority of College Students fall into the Title X program.
This is a program that the government pays PP so they can provide free reproductive health care.
This means the people that are ACTUALLY getting the coupons are not the group of people that need them.
Are you following all this yet?
The people that actually need them are the people who are working their butts off trying to make ends meet and are not eligible for the full Title X benefits so they are on the sliding scale. (Please read above where a PP supporter explained all that.)
Soo…. in order to print coupons, they raise prices on certain products or services (and no, not on abortion). This is so the cost of the coupons do not decrease the monthly sales.
However, the people getting the coupons are already getting the services for free and the people who could really use the $10 off are not.
The prices have gone up, the people who are under Title X get free services, the people on the sliding scale under title X pay more money because of the coupons and they still get the same amount of money from Title X no matter how many coupons they give away.
Title X does NOT mandate how much is charged in its entirety. It just mandates who gets free services and the form of sliding scale to be used.
Did I make it clear now? They are not helping, they are taking advantage.
See…look how great PP is, they are giving out coupons to those poor college students who more than likely get free services anyway. Lets ignore that and lets give them Kudos and standing ovations for helping the poor, even though they have only raised the amount that some of the poor are going to pay. AW, how sweet and how great PP is for taking advantage of….er…I mean … helping the poor.
*big breath*
Now here is the kicker….
Only 33% of Title X is through Planned Parenthood.
Most of Title X is through state/county health departments, community based clinics, hospitals and community/migrant health centers. (Info from the Guttmacher institute.)
this is another way to keep the college students out of the other hospital/clinics that provide Title X and keep the majority of that business to PP. This way they can get more money…..
PCers keep referring to these poor college students. Don’t college students get free medical through the University system? I did. It was covered in the cost of my tuition.
“This means the people that are ACTUALLY getting the coupons are not the group of people that need them.”
who cares? why does this bother you? I’m sure some of the people who are getting coupons are grateful.
However, the people getting the coupons are already getting the services for free and the people who could really use the $10 off are not.
Valerie, Bethany wrote that it goes “to any new patients.”
?? Surely that would include people who have not yet gone but “who could really use” the services.
Doug
I don’t understand the objection. If a dentist did this, no one would care.
But Hal, what if the Roto-Rooter man did it?
Hal:
I must remind you that these posts will be available for future generations to read. And I must tell you that the tide agasint abortion is turning with this generation.
Your inability to understand why a discount coupon is offered by an establishment that kills children is so reprehensible says mountains about who you really are.
Are you sure you really want to risk that?
I think future generations will be just as confused as I am about why the $10 coupon is offensive in any respect. We already know you don’t like them because they “kill children.” How does doing it for ten bucks less make any difference to you? (0r to me?)
Doug –
“Valerie, Bethany wrote that it goes “to any new patients.”
Sorry Doug, I didn’t notice that the first part of the Wildcat online article wasn’t copied and pasted. But if you go to the link that was provided:
“The beginning of each new semester is heralded by a glut of “College Coupons” books.
In the wake of the spring 2008 coupon bonanza, you may have noticed an unusually valuable coupon, a bit behind the brow-wax offer and in front of the Blackjack Pizza ad. ”
These coupons are in the “college coupon” books.
and if you look at all the other coupons they are for “college towns”. The goal is to get college students to go to them. Once a student graduates they usually get a job that provides healthcare insurance which means they will go to a regular OB/GYN office and not PP. However, women who go to PP in college have a tendency to continue to go to them because it is a familiar place. (Believe me, when getting a PAP it is far worse to be in unfamiliar surroundings than in familiar ones.)
“The goal is to get college students to go to them.”
shocking, just shocking….
Jimminy. Again, not me. Hmm. Erin 2, can you maybe add something to your name to prevent confusion?
Again, re: Title X: While it may seem like a lot of coin when you look at the lump sum, it’s simply NOT ENOUGH to cover everyone who could use reduced fee health care!
Against the coupon? I think the logical response would be to lobby for increased funding for Title X and family planning funds for Medicaid. Then, more low income women would have access to reproductive health care.
Hal:
I must remind you that these posts will be available for future generations to read. And I must tell you that the tide agasint abortion is turning with this generation.
Your inability to understand why a discount coupon is offered by an establishment that kills children is so reprehensible says mountains about who you really are.
Are you sure you really want to risk that?
Posted by: HisMan at February 4, 2008 11:27 PM
…………………………………………
These posts will be available for future generations to read? What are you doing? Publishing them in a book? Who do you really think will care to read this stuff when it is apparent that so few do now?
Valerie: I’ll ask again….why the coupons if they are getting money from Title X and our tax money to help those who cannot afford health care?
Could be because those are not enough.