87TH LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
A Deep Dive into Texas Women’s Health Services By Winona Gbedey, Chelsea Gerlicki and Sarah Miller, MD, MPH
With over 14.6 million women living in Texas, almost 30% of which are uninsured, health programs that aim to support and improve women’s health are of the utmost importance.1 However, many Texas women are unaware of the free and lowcost state-wide medical services available to them. Though each of these programs have their own unique set of services, they each contribute to an extensive network that addresses the barriers many women face when trying to find comprehensive and affordable obstetric and gynecological health care. Join us as we explore Texas’ women’s health programs and how the outcomes of the Texas Legislative Session will impact them.
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SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • August 2021
WOMEN’S HEALTH PROGRAMS Healthy Texas Women and Healthy Texas Women Plus: Healthy Texas Women (HTW) is the most comprehensive women’s health program in Texas, providing a wide array of women’s health services to uninsured, low-income women. By enrolling in the program, eligible women gain access to innumerable services, including gynecological exams, pregnancy and STI testing, breast and cervical cancer screenings and family planning services, such as contraception and permanent sterilization. Healthy Texas Women, the Texas Family Planning Program and Breast and Cervical Cancer Services all offer basic preventive services, such as cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure screenings. However, HTW also tends to women's mental, emotional and social wellness by collaborating with substance abuse programs, mental health inpatient care and housing and emergency hotlines. While HTW itself is not available to women who are currently pregnant, HTW Plus provides services up to twelve months
postpartum. This program offers enhanced postpartum care to support more than 375,000 births per year in Texas. Services include coverage for psychotherapy and peer specialists, imaging studies, medications, monitoring for cardiovascular and coronary conditions, and screening, intervention and counseling services for substance use disorders.2 Texas Family Planning Program: As its name would suggest, the Texas Family Planning Program (TFPP) offers affordable and accessible reproductive health care and family planning services to women and men. These services are especially needed in Texas, where, over the past two decades, there has been an increase in unplanned pregnancies along with maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. In fact, Texas has some of the highest rates in the country, with nearly 300,000 unintended pregnancies every year and many maternal deaths.3,4,5 By emphasizing the importance of reproductive life plans, providing preconception counseling and improving ac-
