"The federal government sends money out to nearly 4,000 clinics all over the country to pay for sexual and reproductive health. The program is called Title 10, and the Trump administration has fired the whole staff that ran that program, which is a problem for Title 10 grant recipients like Maine Family Planning. In Augusta, clinical services director Melissa Gray shows off the in-house lab."
"SIMMONS-DUFFIN: They also prescribe birth control, screen for breast cancer and more. Title 10 funding means they can give anyone these services regardless of their insurance or their ability to pay. Maine Family Planning was scheduled to meet with their federal Title 10 contact this week, says CEO George Hill. GEORGE HILL: Didn't happen. SIMMONS-DUFFIN: They didn't show up. And as it turned out, it wasn't because of a shutdown furlough. They'd been fired."
"Several staff members told NPR that all 10 members of the Title 10 staff were let go at the end of last week. NPR agreed not to identify them because they each fear professional retribution for speaking with the media. An HHS spokesperson told NPR the team was affected by the reduction in force but would not say what portion of Title 10 staff was fired."
Title 10 provides federal funds to nearly 4,000 clinics for sexual and reproductive health services. Ten members of the federal team that ran the Title 10 program were let go at the end of last week. Maine Family Planning missed a scheduled meeting because the federal Title 10 contact did not show up. Clinics offer point-of-care testing (HIV, rapid syphilis, rapid Hep C), birth control, breast cancer screening and more, with Title 10 enabling care regardless of insurance or ability to pay. An HHS spokesperson said the team was affected by a reduction in force but did not specify numbers.
Read at www.npr.org
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