Implementation of Healthy Texas Women and Family Planning Program

Testimony to Texas Health and Human Services Commission

When women are healthy before, during, and after their pregnancy, and they can delay or space pregnancies until they choose to have a child, their kids will be better off and have healthier outcomes. As HHSC implements Healthy Texas Women (HTW) and the Family Planning Program (FPP), it should ensure access to preventive and preconception care – including screening and treatment for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and postpartum depression – in order to positively impact women’s health, future pregnancies, and the health of babies. The rule should also make clear that teens ages 15 to 17 who receive benefits through Children’s Health Insurance Program may enroll in HTW with parental consent to access the preventive care the legislature sought to provide to this age group.

The full testimony is available here.