Missouri health nonprofits may have to stop offering birth control after losing federal funding
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - After losing millions in federal funding, Missouri health nonprofits are concerned they may have to stop offering free birth control to low-income and rural Missourians.
Nearly one month has ed since the federal government pulled the rug on an $8.5 million grant for the Missouri Family Health Council. Rural health clinics that received those funds are scrambling to continue care for their patients.
The Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation in Springfield and the Dent County Health Center in Salem are two clinics suffering from the loss. Directors say their patients are confused.
“Funding delays affect our patients the most, people who already face significant systemic barriers to accessing needed healthcare and who have the most to lose,” said Jennifer Olson, Executive Director of OACAC.
Michelle Trupiano with the Missouri Family Health Council is worried about a loss of certain offerings, having to charge patients for services that used to be free, or, in the worst cases, some clinics closing.
“We’ve been without funding for over three weeks, and clinics are in a dire situation in which they are doing everything that they can to keep their clinic operations going,” Trupiano said.
The grant helped these rural areas offer birth control and family planning. Last year, clinics served over 43,000 Missourians and nearly half were uninsured.
The grant was supposed to continue for two more years, but on April 1, money stopped flowing. Missouri Family Health Council is one of 16 nonprofits nationwide that received a notice stating concerns about their application of diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Missouri Family Health Council appealed the federal government’s decision, but has not heard anything about reinstating funds.
Statewide elected leaders the federal government’s decision to downsize. The governor said he looks at nonprofit cuts on a case-by-case basis when considering whether to offer state .
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