Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113191

Gorette Amaral, MHS, Diana Greene Foster, PhD, Antonia Biggs, PhD, and Claire Brindis, DrPH. Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 265, San Francisco, CA 94143, 415-476-0746, gorette@itsa.ucsf.edu

Providing access to quality reproductive health services represents an important societal investment. Recognizing a need for such services among low-income individuals, California expanded access to family planning services for individuals with incomes between at or below 200% of the federal poverty level through the Family PACT Program in 1996. In 1999, Family PACT received federal funding for the first time through a Medicaid demonstration waiver.

To assess the program's economic benefits, a cost-benefit analysis was conducted to compare the cost of the Family PACT Program ($403.8 million in 2002) to the cost of providing health and welfare services to mothers and children born as a result of unintended pregnancy. In 2002, Family PACT provided contraceptives to a million individuals, averting 204,950 pregnancies, which would have led to 93,970 births, 78,620 abortions, 30,310 miscarriages and 2,050 ectopic pregnancies. These pregnancies would have incurred public costs of $1.1 billion up to two years and $2.2 billion up to five years after birth. Each dollar spent on Family PACT generated savings of $2.76 and $5.33 up to two and five years after birth.

Through the provision of effective methods of contraception to individuals with limited access to these services elsewhere, Family PACT has reduced the number of unintended pregnancies in California, resulting in substantial financial savings. The Family PACT Program may be a useful model to states considering expanding their family planning programs. The findings also contribute to evidence-based policymaking regarding the future funding of public family planning programs.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

(
• Describe a cost-benefit framework for assessing the public sector medical, income support, and social service program expenditures associated with unintended pregnancy; (
• Describe the total cost savings associated with prevention of unintended pregnancies in California; (
• Assess the potential for replication of California's experiences in other states.

Keywords: Cost-Effectiveness, Family Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation