PPGC clinic closures had nothing to do with those Medicaid fraud charges, sure
Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast took the occasion of Texas Governor Rick Perry’s signing of a new omnibus pro-life law today to announce it was closing three of its 12 clinics. The reason, per Huffington Post:
The three clinics are located in Bryan, Huntsville and Lufkin, Texas. They are closing in response to a new package of a new package of abortion restrictions signed into law on Thursday and funding cuts to Texas’ Women’s Health Program that were passed by the Texas state legislature in 2011. Out of the three Planned Parenthood clinics that are closing, only the Bryan clinic performs abortions.
Planned Parenthood timed its notice to steal media attention away from pro-lifers, while also trying to put Texas legislators on the defensive. But was this really an attempt to erase dots between the shutdowns and PPGC’s problem with Medicaid fraud?
Most interesting is the former employees who have accused PPGC of Medicaid fraud worked at two of the closing clinics.
Karen Reynolds, who filed a lawsuit in 2011, worked at the Lufkin facility; and Abby Johnson, who filed a lawsuit in 2012, worked at the Bryan clinic.
The charges may or may not lead to prosecutions, but my first thought today was that subsequent attempts by PPGC to clean up its books resulted in such a noticeable loss of profits it had to shutter the doors at 1/4 of its centers, two of which were surely under added scrutiny.
I spoke with Abby Johnson this afternoon, who agreed the Medicaid fraud charges had something to do with the closures.
“I think a lot of things went into account,” Abby added. “The loss of income from the State of Texas and the new regulations played a part. Then there was the constant presence of pro-lifers in Bryan that took away the bulk of its income from surgical abortions. Plus, all three facilities were 40 Days for Life sites. And, yes, PPGC also knows the state is watching their books, so they can no longer get away with charging for services they don’t provide.
“What’s makes this even more hilarious is PPGC just spent so much money on the Lufkin facility, which was abortion ready but not asc (ambulatory surgical center) ready,” Abby said. “With the passage of HB2, they knew they could never perform abortions there.”
Indeed, less than six years ago PPGC opened its 6,700 sq ft, $1.5 million Lufkin clinic….
Major donors to the Lufkin clinic included Buddy and Ellen Temple and David and Jean Dolben, now had.
Not one to let poor planning stop it, PPGC broke ground in May for a new $4.2 million, 7,000 sq ft abortion clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana, to open in late 2014/early 2015.
This action prompted the Louisiana legislature to open its own investigation of the PP affiliate in June.
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.
“I spoke with Abby Johnson this afternoon, who agreed the Medicaid fraud charges had something to do with the closures.” – oh well, say no more then.
“I think a lot of things went into account,” Abby added. “The loss of income from the State of Texas and the new regulations played a part. Then there was the constant presence of pro-lifers in Bryan that took away the bulk of its income from surgical abortions. Plus, all three facilities were 40 Days for Life sites.” – yes, denial of womens legal rights.
“so they can no longer get away with charging for services they don’t provide.” – so they have been prosecuted and found culpible have they? Yes? No?
“About a year after Texas slashed its family-planning budget by two-thirds, with 50 clinics shutting down as a result, the Texas Policy Evaluation Project surveyed 300 pregnant women seeking an abortion in Texas. Nearly half said they were “unable to access the birth control that they wanted to use” in the three months before they became pregnant. Among the reasons: cost, lack of insurance, inability to find a clinic, and inability get a prescription.”
“The Planned Parenthood clinics that anti-choice legislators booted from the state’s Women’s Health Program serviced nearly 50 percent of the program’s patients. Along with contraceptive counseling, the clinics provided basic screenings for cancer, hypertension, and other key problems”
Tell me how praying outside of a Planned Parenthood facility for a conversion of hearts and an openness to life, personal fasting, and peaceful community outreach on the sanctity of human life and alternatives to abortion denies any woman her legal rights? No 40 Days for Life person manhandled women to prevent them from entering. If the women thought better of their decision and no longer wanted to patronize Planned Parenthood, that is their legal right. Prayer and positive witness works.
What is the sound of an evil empire imploding?
MoJoanne: Some pro-choicers have a bizarre belief that when pro-lifers influence a woman to choose life, that somehow an “anti-choice” action has taken place. Which is, of course, stupid beyond belief. They wouldn’t think this way about any other area of life, where the influence of others (friends, government, protests) makes a difference in how people think and make decisions. Mysteriously, when it comes to abortion their brains flip sideways and they talk as if, suddenly, influence has become tantamount to a civil rights violation. I’ve never understood why.
Reality, if you read the Medicaid fraud charges against PPGC, you’ll see they’re about piling on unnecessary fees, overbilling, and double dipping. As I indicated in the article, PPGC has not been prosecuted. The charges are hanging out there. But consider the fact that they’re true and PPGC has had to stop illegally padding its profits. That would explain how two pill clinics couldn’t survive.
There was no reason for PPGC’s Bryan abortion clinic to close due to the new law signed yesterday. First, we know PP et al are going to sue to have the law enjoined and keep it tangled in the courts at least a couple years. But if it’s true that 42 of 47 TX abortion clinics will close due to that law, almost all PP abortion mills should have closed yesterday.
Reality, did it ever occur to you that perhaps if they can’t abide by basic regulations, they should never have been in business in the first place? Just imagine they are fracking companies with Matt Damon making an agitprop flick about them, if it helps you frown on their revenue-making practices. If we’re going to demand every clinic and company under the sun have everything under close scrutiny, abortion clinics should be no different. Heck, those fracking companies should open an abortion clinic at every pump site, that will keep Congress and local activists off their back for sure.
Given that no judge so far has dismissed the charges against PP, Reality, what makes you so sure they’re baseless?
I wrote this to sing this to the tune of “John Henry” because with prayer, we can hammer at Planned Parenthood. (Maybe someday a bunch of their former employees will start a Pregnancy Care business and provide some actual women’s health care!)
Padre said “Bring me my weapon,”
And got down on his knees to pray.
Rosary in his hand, he prayed for our land,
For abortion to end today, Lord, Lord,
Let abortion end today!
“Tell me how praying outside of a Planned Parenthood facility” – ask Abby Johnson, she seems to think it plays a part.
You reported Abby Johnson as saying “so they can no longer get away with charging for services they don’t provide.” yet so far there are no prosecutions or findings of culpability.
“if you read the Medicaid fraud charges against PPGC” – is there a link, I may have missed it?
Given that no judge so far has found against PP, JoAnna, what makes you so sure they’re based in fact?
Given that no judge so far has found against PP, JoAnna, what makes you so sure they’re based in fact?
I never claimed that they were. I have no idea; that’s for the courts to decide. However, based on the substantiated fact that the case against them has not been dismissed thus far, obviously several judges in our federal justice system are of the opinion that the case against them has some merit, otherwise PP’s petition for dismissal would have been granted and it wouldn’t be going forward.
I think there is a strong possibility that the charges are indeed accurate, and I think it’s a strong possibility that the charges are related to the clinic closings.
What are the actual charges which have been laid by Medicaid?
Thank you for reporting the bare truth in an age when everything seems to have an obfuscating slant!
So I keep going back to that statistic about “300 women seeking an abortion, almost half of whom couldn’t access birthcontrol”?? Do they have a grocery store, drug store or Walmart near by? They can’t afford $15 for a pack of birth control pills but they can afford $1000 for an abortion? I think I must be missing something.
And I love how MY rights to peacefully assemble and pray is seen as a denial of others’ legal rights. I pray that this miracle in Texas will happen all over this country and we will see a new attitude toward all life, the babies, the moms, dads, everyone!!
Reality says:
July 19, 2013 at 8:12 pm
What are the actual charges which have been laid by Medicaid?
This is an idiot’s game.
Before any PP is found guilty, all allegations are mere allegations. After found guilty, a PP is a lone wolf.
A few PP have been found guilty of Medicaid fraud. They have two scams: 1 get discount nonprofit rate for BC pills, then charge the govt the going rate.
2 Add services that may or may not have been warranted. This is done in many ways. when I mention this, I am mentioning a way that a PP has actually been found guilty of: a woman does not renew BC prescription. You act as if she renewed, and send her prescription by mail. You bill the fed govt.
Gravy train. As long as no one looks at the books too closely.
“This is an idiot’s game.” – perhaps. But by who?
I didn’t ask what they’ve been found guilty of. I didn’t ask what the allegations are. I asked what actual charges have been laid by Medicaid in the above case.
No one seems to be able to tell me. Or is there an obfuscating slant?
“I pray that this miracle in Texas” – it isn’t a miracle. It’s a premeditated travesty.
Reality – Jill will probably post about this shortly, but FYI: https://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagNews/release.php?id=4455
She sooooo called this one JoAnna!