We are monitoring a few developments within the unregulated pregnancy clinic (UPC) industry, which further contribute to the growing body of evidence highlighting financial inefficiencies and mismanagement by UPCs that receive taxpayer funding.
- ProPublica published the results of an investigation which found that a tax credit intended to assist pregnant women in Missouri is actually enabling Coalition Life, an anti-choice organization engaging in out-of-state anti-abortion activities. A taxpayer credit intended to assist pregnant women in Missouri has been directed to a UPC called Coalition Life that is sponsoring out-of-state anti-abortion activities. Moreover, as Coalition Life expands its operation across state lines, its website devotes a whole page to soliciting tax credit donations from Missouri residents. In 2021, legislators in Missouri raised the state’s UPC tax credit from 50% to 70% and removed the yearly cap on how many tax credits the state could issue. This resulted in a three-fold increase in tax credit funding to UPCs, totaling $7 million in the first quarter of 2022, a drain on state coffers that surprised and concerned even UPC tax credit champions. As RHFW’s Jenifer McKenna said in our statement, “When will legislators finally demand accountability?”
- The Washington Post covered the high rate of maternal deaths in Arkansas following the fall of Roe vs. Wade, highlighting that while state lawmakers are funding unregulated pregnancy clinics with taxpayer dollars, nearly half of the state’s counties lack a hospital or birth center offering obstetric care and the Governor has declined to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum care. “Arkansas already has one of the nation’s worst maternal mortality rates, and…ninety-two percent of recent maternal deaths were preventable, a state review committee found…Since the state’s abortion ban took effect, Arkansas has given $2 million to… crisis (pregnancy) centers, many of them faith-based, and the legislature recently authorized another $2 million for this fiscal year.” The Post quoted Obstetrician Kara Worley, who has worked at local hospitals that shuttered their delivery units, who said, “I can’t remember the last time I had a patient come in healthy, young, with no medical problems and have a baby and go home.” While Arkansas calls its UPC funding law “An Act to Reduce Maternal and Infant Mortality by Making an Appropriation for Pregnancy Help Organization Grants,” there has been no impact analysis of the Arkansas groups receiving these grants and no research into their impact on maternal or infant health care access or outcomes. Lawmakers also rejected a request to add language to track whether clients visiting UPCs went on to visit a doctor for prenatal care.
- Oklahoma has rejected millions of dollars in federal funding meant to help families because federal regulations required that the state publicize an abortion referral hotline. According to Oklahoma Watch, “Oklahoma has walked away from millions in federal money meant to help families” and declined a federal summer food program for low-income children. Yet state lawmakers have put $18 million into Oklahoma’s “Choosing Childbirth” program, which provides taxpayer funding for unregulated pregnancy clinics that counsel against abortion.” despite previous reporting that the Oklahoma Pregnancy Care Network had pledged to support up to 10,000 clients annually but only reached 3,032 between 2020-2023, and that an audit by the state Health Department showed questionable costs.