Leave alone Planned Parenthood

To the editor:

I write today in opposition to the U.S. Senate and House health care bills, most especially their defunding of Planned Parenthood.

This bill is the worst bill for women in a generation. In addition to “defunding” Planned Parenthood and slashing Medicaid, it guts essential health benefit protections, including maternity coverage and prescription drugs. 

Some 13 million women could lose coverage to maternity care under this bill — and more than a million patients will instantly lose access to care at Planned Parenthood health centers if this bill were to become law.

More than 2.4 million patients a year come to Planned Parenthood for care, regardless of their ZIP code, income, sexual orientation, race, religion, gender or country of origin.

Shutting down Planned Parenthood would deny millions of patients access to its cancer screenings, birth control, HIV testing and more. If patients are blocked from care at Planned Parenthood, many would have nowhere else to go for health care.

TRACY GRISWOLD