NEW YORK (Reuters) - Planned Parenthood will get federal funds to help Americans enroll in insurance via President Barack Obama's healthcare program, U.S. officials said on Thursday, drawing fire from critics who oppose contraception and abortion in such coverage.
Across the country, 105 groups were awarded a total of $67 million in so-called navigator grants, ranging from the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida and AIDS Alabama, Inc. to the Greater Phoenix Urban League and the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County.
The inclusion of Planned Parenthood groups in three U.S. states, which provide women's health services including contraception and abortion, drew new criticism from Republicans and others. The healthcare law has attracted major opposition and legal challenges from religious and conservative groups for requiring insurers to cover the cost of birth control.
"More than 90 percent of what our health centers do is provide basic, preventive care, including cancer screenings and annual well-woman exams," said Eric Ferrero, vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
The navigator grants, he said, will enable local affiliates to help women enroll in insurance plans that cover preventive care and maternity care, and "have nothing to do with abortion and won't be used for abortion services."
