chicago – Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) has decided to close four health centers across the state, including one in Chicago.
What we know:
The locations that will close include the Ottawa, Decatur and Bloomington health centers located in central Illinois, along with one center in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood.
The centers that are closed do not provide procedural abortion care.
Due to the closures, PPIL plans to expand appointment availability and access at health centers in Champaign, Peoria, Springfield and Roseland.
Additionally, it plans to expand virtual options through telehealth and the PPDirect app.
PPIL will also reduce its administrative staff to match the changes at the health centres.
Employees displaced by the closures will be offered positions in other locations or will be transitioned to telehealth, when possible.
Backstory:
PPIL said it “faces a financial shortfall” due to rising health care costs for personal care, an increasing number of patients requiring financial assistance, uncertainties under the new administration and the need to create a sustainable future due to the overturn of Roe v Wade. .
Due to the increase in the number of patients, coupled with lower reimbursement rates from insurance companies and rising healthcare costs, PPIL said it needed to reorganize its health centers and staff.
What they say:
Planned Parenthood Illinois Interim President and CEO Tonya Tucker issued the following statement:
“Patient care is and always will be our number one priority. We have made plans to increase patient volume. However, rising costs of care and declining reimbursement rates from insurance companies are putting PPIL’s sustainability at risk. Unfortunately, this is the reality that many other Planned Parenthood affiliates face “In a rapidly evolving health care environment, we make tough decisions today so we can continue to provide care tomorrow and into the future.”
In numbers:
According to PPIL, Illinois has seen the highest number of abortion patients coming from other states.
Since Roe v Wade was overturned in 2022, PPIL said it has seen a 47% increase in overall abortion care patients, with out-of-state patients traveling from more than 40 states.
Out-of-state patients make up approximately 25% of all abortion patients.
What's the next step:
Appointments at the four closed health centers will end in March.
Starting February, PPIL will offer medical abortion service through the PPDirect app.
Currently, patients can access contraception, treatment for urinary tract infections, at-home STD tests and emergency contraception through the app.
By adding medical abortion to the list of services, PPIL says it will expand access, reduce waiting times at health centers and provide care to patients.
Those using the PPDirect app will fill out a questionnaire, which will be reviewed by a PPIL medical professional.
The medical abortion pill will then be mailed to patients, or the provider will work with patients to schedule an appointment at the health care center.
For more information, visit ppil.org.
Source: Information in this article provided by Planned Parenthood of Illinois.
Illinois, health, health care, abortion laws
