Planned Parenthood Shutters 5 NorCal Clinics After Trump Slashes Funding

“Women will go without Pap smears, mammograms and prenatal care. Young people will lose access to birth control. Families will be denied basic preventative services,” added Assemblymember Dianne Papan (D-San Mateo) in a statement.

According to Mar Monte Spokesperson Andrew Adams, the organization chose to close health centers strategically where there are other nonprofit health options available and other Mar Monte clinics nearby.

He said he expects the vast majority of patients who have been seen at the shuttered clinics will get care at another of the organization’s facilities.

“When we closed yesterday at those five places, our staff got on the phone and for patients that had appointments today or next week, we let them know that they can continue to be seen and we’re happy to reschedule for nearby health centers,” he said.

Mar Monte will also sunset three programs, including prenatal care and behavioral health, at its 30 remaining centers.

“We are not backing down, but we must have the resources to continue this fight and to continue to provide care to the hundreds of thousands who rely on [Planned Parenthood Mar Monte],” the branch said in its statement.

Adams said Mar Monte has lost $1.7 million in reimbursements in one week as its clinics continued to administer care. By the end of July, he predicts the organization will lose nearly $5 million.

“We knew that that business model is not sustainable. We can’t keep doing that, unfortunately,” Adams told KQED Friday. “We knew that we had to close some health centers in order to remain sustainable.”

The organization will need to build up other funding streams to protect against deeper cuts, Adams said. Mar Monte is working with the state to see if they can still utilize state-level Medicaid funding — known as Medi-Cal — as well as considering new services that attract patients and can be paid for with cash and leaning more heavily on donors.

“We’re really relying on the state to help fill the gap and we’re asking our donors to help bridge this time period while we come up with a more sustainable business model,” Adams told KQED.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America has already sued the Trump administration over the budget bill, but a temporary order issued by a district judge in M***achusetts this week will allow the federal government to withhold reimbursements to most clinics, including all in California, while the court case plays out.

Mar Monte said the legal challenge faces a tough road ahead, as it could likely advance to the Supreme Court, which it described as “adversarial” to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.