FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 3, 2020
Contact: Audrey Sandusky, (202) 344-5805, asandusky@nfprha.org

Federal Court of Appeals Protects Maryland from Title X Rule

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld a district court decision to block the Title X rule from being enforced in Maryland. The following is a statement from Clare Coleman, President & CEO of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA).

“We are relieved the Fourth Circuit upheld the district court’s determination that the Title X rule is unlawful. Today’s ruling will continue to prevent this terrible rule from further harming family planning providers and their patients across the state of Maryland. Unfortunately, the court did not take the opportunity to bring the desperately needed relief to the nationwide family planning provider network that is appropriate under and required by federal law.

“Title X was created to ensure access to high-quality family planning and sexual health care to anyone who needed it. But we are watching with horror as the Trump administration dismantles a core public health program with fifty years of success. The Title X rule is inflicting harm across the entire family planning network, causing family planning providers in more than 30 states to leave the program and at least 1.5 million people to lose access to Title X care. In total, the number of health centers has decreased by nearly 1,000.

“While we celebrate today’s win for Maryland providers and their patients, our fight endures to restore the integrity of our nation’s family planning program for the millions of people across the US most in need of high-quality family planning care.”

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NFPRHA is a membership organization representing publicly funded family planning providers and administrators nationwide. NFPRHA advances and elevates the importance of family planning in the nation’s health care system and promotes and supports the work of family planning providers and administrators, especially those in the safety net. For more information, visit nationalfamilyplanning.org.