Family PACT, California�s publicly-funded family planning program for low-income women and men, is one of the largest and fastest-growing family planning programs in the country. One of the most innovative components of Family PACT is the inclusion of private practitioners. Prior to 1997, California�s family planning program included only public and non-profit clinic providers who were reimbursed for services on a contractual basis. In 1997, in a break from this traditional approach, Family PACT invited private providers, who were already eligible to provide Medi-Cal services, to provide family planning care to its beneficiaries -- low-income residents of the State who had no other source of family planning services. In the two years after implementation, the program served over a million clients.
Out of 2,400 providers enrolled in Family PACT at the end of 1998, more than 1,700 were private providers. Private providers constituted more than 70% of all providers and enrolled 45% of new clients. The major beneficiaries of this expanded provider network are Hispanic women. The number of Hispanic women receiving state-subsidized family planning services increased from 278,000 in the fiscal year before Family PACT started, to 458,000 during its first full fiscal year. Almost 90% of Family PACT clients seen by private practitioners are Hispanic.
This paper examines the impact of the inclusion of private sector providers on access to and delivery of services in California�s Family PACT program.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the new public-private partnership in California's publicly funded family planning program. 2) Describe the impact of the new partnership on clients, providers, and delivery of services
Keywords: Family Planning, Public/Private Partnerships
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