KHN Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Studies: Unintended Pregnancies Cost Taxpayers $11B A Year

Two studies have found that unplanned pregnancies cost taxpayers up to $11 billion per year. The figure is sure to generate discussion on Capitol Hill as lawmakers grapple with funding for Planned Parenthood.

The Wall Street Journal: Unintended Pregnancies Cost Government $11 Billion a Year
To the list of hot-button ideas for reducing the federal government's budget deficit, add one more: stopping unwanted pregnancies. Unintended pregnancies likely cost the federal and state governments more than $11 billion a year, estimated a study published Thursday from the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public-policy organization (Peterson, 5/20).

NPR: Who Pays For Unintended Pregnancies?
While some states and the federal government debate whether to halt funding of Planned Parenthood and other providers of family planning services, a new study finds that the cost of unintended pregnancies is large, and much of the bill - about $11 billion per year - goes to government programs and ultimately taxpayers. The study by the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that was formerly affiliated with Planned Parenthood, is sure to raise some eyebrows in the anti-abortion community (Rovner, 5/19).

National Journal: Studies Say Unplanned Pregnancies Cost Taxpayers $11 Billion A Year
Unplanned pregnancies cost states and the federal government more than $11 billion a year, but better family planning programs could cut those costs, researchers reported on Thursday. A study by the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute found that two-thirds of births from unintended pregnancies in 2006 were paid for by public insurance plans such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. A separate study by the Brookings Institution came up with similar numbers (Fox, 5/19).
