Over one and a half million low-income women in California are at risk of an unintended pregnancy but have no healthcare coverage. For the past few decades, the State of California has been reimbursing providers for family planning services to women and men who are below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) who do not qualify for Medi-Cal and do not have another source of family planning services. A limited number of contractors provided state-funded services prior to 1997, serving approximately 30% of the women in need and an even smaller percentage of the men in need.
In 1997, the state launched Family PACT, a new program designed to expand the capacity of the service system by increasing the number of sites and types of providers who could provide state subsidized services. Fiscal year 97/98 (the first full fiscal year of Family PACT) saw an impressive growth in the number of clients receiving state subsidized contraceptive services – 50% more women and 262% more men than were served under the previous state program. Unmet need for contraceptive services among low-income women in California actually declined under the Family PACT program despite increases in the number of eligible Californians resulting from Medi-Cal disenrollment, population growth, and an increase in the number of Californians meeting the income requirements. This paper examines the success of a new state family planning program in meeting the growing need for publicly funded family planning services.
Learning Objectives: 1. Define and evaluate the concepts of “unmet need for family planning services” and “at risk of unintended pregnancy”. 2. Describe the magnitude and geographic distribution of need for family planning services among low-income women and men in California. 3. Describe the changes in the California State family planning program from a limited contract program to a fee-for-service public/private partnership. 4. Assess the impact of expanding the network of eligible providers on access to family planning services in the state
Keywords: Access to Care, Family Planning
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: State of California Office of Family Planning Family PACT Program
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Independent Evaluator