Monday, March 19, 2007
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Expands Women's Health Program; Pulls Taxpayer Funding from Abortion Clinics
SPRINGFIELD–Gov. Matt Blunt today called for $500,000 in state funds for the Show Me Healthy Women Program. The funds will expand the program to over 1,200 more Missouri women.
"Too many women suffer from debilitating and often fatal diseases like breast cancer and cervical cancer while they should be enjoying the prime years of their life," Blunt said. "The half million dollars we are providing will give more Missouri women access to life saving screenings and preventative care and complements Mo HealthNet's efforts to focus care and services on health and wellness."
The Show Me Healthy Women program offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings to thousands of Missouri women who meet specific residency, age and income guidelines. The additional funding is more than six times current state funding and will allow the program to serve an additional 1,225 women next year.
The governor also announced today that the Jordan Valley Community Health Center will be expanding their program to provide even more screenings for women. Joplin's Ozark Tri County Health Care will also be joining the program to provide the screenings.
In examining ways to increase funding for life-saving screenings, the Blunt Administration found that previous administrations had programmed taxpayer money to go to Planned Parenthood in Springfield and Joplin through the program. Blunt immediately took steps to stop the funding while expanding access to screenings for women in the Springfield and Joplin areas.
"Patients should not have to go to an abortion clinic to access life saving tests," Blunt said. "Today I put an end to taxpayer dollars going to Planned Parenthood in Springfield and Joplin through the Show Me Healthy Women Program. This ensures women may access important preventative care without contributing to abortion providers' goal of facilitating the destruction of innocent life."
The governor emphasized how significant an impact breast and cervical cancer have on Missouri families and noted his family has also faced the terrible disease. Mrs. Blunt, who accompanied the governor today, lost her mother to breast cancer as a teenager.