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Rushed efforts to defund Planned Parenthood spark confusion

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February 5th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As the Iowa Legislature rushes to pass a bill to remove funding for Planned Parenthood, some health clinics that could see an increase in patients say they haven’t heard anything about a new state-run family planning program that could take effect within months.

The GOP-backed legislation flew through the Senate on Thursday and now moves to the House. The bill hinges on rejecting millions in federal Medicaid dollars in order to eliminate state funding for Planned Parenthood.

Republican lawmakers contend the new program will allow more rural health clinics to offer family planning services. However, representatives for some of those facilities say they’re not familiar with the state’s plans. While some clinics say they’re capable of helping more patients, they are confused about how the new system would work.