FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednessday, October 6, 2021
Statement attributable to:
Sterling N. Ransone, Jr., MD, FAAFP
President
American Academy of Family Physicians
“The American Academy of Family Physicians applauds the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ final rule to reverse the 2019 Title X regulations. This will help eliminate barriers for millions of patients who rely on the Title X program and increase access to evidence-based, affordable health care.
“The Title X National Family Planning Program—the only federal program dedicated to providing evidence-based family planning and other preventive health services to low-income Americans—is critical to delivering access to comprehensive, patient-centered reproductive health and other essential care for patients.
“The AAFP has a long-standing commitment to advocate for policies and programs that provide equal access to affordable, high-quality care for all. We are pleased the administration has recognized the urgent need to rescind harmful policies that restrict the sharing of medical information and interfere with the patient-physician relationship—a cornerstone of family medicine.
“Amid a public health emergency, family physicians know the importance of promoting access to comprehensive, continuous primary care services—including reproductive health—and are pleased this rule will facilitate referrals to and by primary care physicians.
“We thank the administration for restoring the Title X program, advancing health equity, and facilitating access to inclusive, patient-centered health care. We look forward to working together to build on this policy to ensure all patients have access to primary and preventive care.”
Editor's Note: To arrange an interview, contact Julie Hirschhorn, 202-655-4949, or jhirschhorn@aafp.org.
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About American Academy of Family Physicians
Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 130,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that’s 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine and the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, visit www.aafp.org. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.