FPA’s second Legislative Conference attracts 700 advocates from across the state. Medicaid funding for abortion remains a top priority for the legislative session, but additional threats to family planning services are forthcoming.

Grassroots mobilization remains the focus of FPA’s success. The New York State Campaign for Abortion Rights (NYSCAR) continues bringing busloads of advocates to Albany each week to lobby for Medicaid funding for abortion services.

Senator John Marchi (R-Staten Island) opens an investigation into whether all abortions paid for by Medicaid are medically necessary. The names of physicians, clinics and hospitals performing abortions are requested from the Department of Social Services. The Department of Health is also creating a “data bank” for assessing hospital utilization. These initiatives raise serious privacy and safety concerns for women accessing family planning services and providers.

FPA mounts successful campaigns to manage both of these threats to privacy and safety.  The Commissioner of Social Services agrees to code the names of abortion providers and the collection of women’s names is exempted from the new Department of Health data bank.  FPA’s campaigns allow for adequate data to be collected while safeguarding privacy concerns.

The close of the legislative session brings hard fought victories for family planning services.  FPA succeeds in getting family planning identified in the State’s first five-year health plan as a key element in the State’s strategy to improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce health care costs.

In addition, FPA negotiates increases in Medicaid reimbursement rates for family planning clinic visits and plays a major role in rescuing the State Education Department’s Family Life Education Program after it is cut from the Governor’s budget.

The Legislature adds $600,000 to the Health Department’s family planning program for pregnancy prevention, with half earmarked for teenagers. Governor Hugh Carey signs a bill into law requiring state and local governments to give maternity health insurance to employees and their dependents. After a five-day budget impasse, the Legislature approves Medicaid funding for abortion. FPA achieves its top budget priority and successfully protects the privacy of abortion providers and women accessing family planning services.

There is additional good news on the federal level when the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down a restrictive law requiring unmarried minors under 18 to have consent from both parents or a judge for an abortion.