Texas Facts

Family Planning in Texas

Members of the Texas Legislature, as well as students, medical professionals, social service agencies and other interested members of the public, rely on WHFPT for accurate data on reproductive health care issues. WHFPT researches and releases information on a wide range of topics related to reproductive health, including the need for services, the cost benefit of preventive care and contraception, and examples of health care programs that have worked well in other states. We distribute this information to our membership, policy makers and the general public.

Texas Family Planning Funding Services

Family planning services are funded through a combination of state and federal revenue streams (Titles V, X, XX, XIX, & Medicaid’s Women’s Health Program), administered by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Health & Human Services Commission (HHSC).

1. TITLE X: Public Health Services Act
Title X of the Public Health Services Act is a critical component of the nation’s public health infrastructure. It is the only federally funded program solely dedicated to providing reproductive health care to low-income and uninsured women. The Title X system is the entry point into the health care system for millions of American women. Title X clinics are at the forefront of efforts to reduce rates of unintended pregnancy, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and breast and cervical cancers. In 2009 in Texas, Title X enabled over 19,327 women and men and to avoid unintended pregnancies to receive vital preventive health care.

2. TITLE V: Maternal & Child Health Services title of the Social Security Act of 1935
Through Title V of the Social Security Act, the Federal Government pledged its support of state efforts to improve the health of all mothers and children, especially those with low incomes or with limited access to quality health care. The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant under Title V of the Social Security Act has operated as a Federal-State partnership for more than 60 years. In 2009, approximately 49,500 women were provided family planning services through Title V funding in Texas.

3. TITLE XX: Social Services Block Grant
Title XX, or the Social Services Block Grant, is the social services component of the Social Security Act. Title XX funds are used to provide individual and community-wide educational activities, as well as family planning clinical services. In Texas Title XX funds are supple-mented by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, as authorized by the Legislature. Just over 190,500 Texas residents were provided family planning services through Title XX funds in 2009.

4. TITLE XIX & MEDICAID’S WOMEN’S HEALTH PROGRAM
Medicaid, or Title XIX of the Social Security Act, was created in Congress in 1965 as part of the “War on Poverty”. Of the family planning funding sources in Texas, Title XIX is the only one in which the majority of providers are private physicians. In 2009, over 99,800 people were provided family planning services through Title XIX.

In 2007, Texas implemented the Women’s Health Program (WHP), a Medicaid waiver expansion. The Women’s Health Program provides FREE family planning services to eligible women. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.

The Texas uninsured

Percentage of Texans under 65 years of age who were uninsured at the time of interview, for at least part of the year, or for more than a year (2004–2006)

  • uninsured at the time of interview: Texas 27%; U.S. 17%
  • uninsured or at least part of the year: Texas 32%; U.S. 20%
  • uninsured for more than a year: Texas 20%; U.S. 12%

Percentage of Texas children under 18 years of age who were uninsured, covered by private health insurance, or covered by Medicaid or SCHIP at the time of interview (2004–2006)

  • uninsured at the time of interview: Texas 19%; U.S. 9%
  • had private insurance: Texas 51%; U.S. 62%
  • Medicaid or SCHIP: Texas 29%; U.S. 28%