Carly Woodcock, a Benefit Programs Specialist in Oneonta and Binghamton, helps a patient enroll in FPBP. |
The Family Planning Benefit Program:
Great for our Patients, Great for our Bottom Line
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An important part of the mission of Planned Parenthood of South Central New York is that no one is denied medical care due to inability to pay.
In 2005, 26% of the patients we saw were unable to pay anything for their medical care. That means that we must raise dollars through other means to offset those costs. There are many ways that we accomplish that goal, such as through gifts from our donors, grants, and government programs.
One such government program is the Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP), launched by New York State in 2002. FPBP pays for birth control and related health care for childbearing women and men who are New York State residents and have incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
FPBP helps us to maximize the money we get from other sources, which allows us to continue our mission of affordable health care offered at no cost to those in need.
This program also gives an important gift to Planned Parenthood. We have always helped low income patients by offering sliding fees based on income. Many of the patients who previously would have paid a reduced fee will now be able to get these services for free through this program. And in turn, Planned Parenthood will receive full reimbursement from Medicaid for these patient visits, which helps our bottom line.
