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San Antonio - Today State Rep. Mike Villarreal announced plans to expand enrollment in the Women's Health Program (WHP) in order to strengthen families and save millions of dollars in Medicaid spending.  

Rep. Villarreal released a report showing that the state's WHP prevented 10,000 unplanned pregnancies in 2008, reducing state and federal Medicaid spending on childbirths by $113 million per year at an annual cost of $20 million. The state invested $2 million per year and reduced Medicaid childbirth expenditures by $42 million, producing an annual state savings of $40 million.

"It turns out that every dollar the state invests in helping women plan healthy pregnancies saves the state twenty dollars," noted Rep. Villarreal.

The Women's Health Program provides family planning and women's health services to low-income Texas women ages 18 to 44. It does not cover abortions. More information on the program is available here.  The state Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has recently conducted a study of the program as mandated by a budget provision written by Rep. Villarreal.

The report is available here.

In addition to the direct budget savings, research by Healthy Futures of Texas and others has found that preventing unplanned pregnancies reduces child abuse, the high school dropout rate, abortions, child and maternal health problems, and other social, educational and economic costs. Seventy-one percent of pregnancies among unmarried young adults in Texas is unplanned.

Today Rep. Villarreal announced legislation to improve WHP outreach and expand opportunities for eligible women to enroll in the program. Healthy Futures of Texas estimates that approximately five percent of eligible Texas women are enrolled in the program.

"As we struggle with a state budget deficit and a sky-high rate of unplanned pregnancies, giving more women the opportunity to enroll in the Women's Health Program is a no-brainer," said Rep. Villarreal.