State contractors spent $13 million, served fewer women than expected
A grant program intended to boost enrollment in a state health program for low-income women fell far short of its goal to serve 155,000 patients in 2017 even after contractors spent $13 million, according to data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Among grant recipients that received the largest amounts was Round Rock-based Heidi Group, whose founder Carol Everett is a vocal opponent of abortions. The group, which received $1.6 million in fiscal year 2017, served 2,300 women in the Healthy Texas Womens program even though its contract called for the organization to serve 51,000 the most of all grant recipients. The group also received $5 million to provide services in the states Family Planning Program, but ended up serving 1,000 women, a third of what was proposed. The groups contract has been renewed and it will receive $3.2 million in fiscal year 2019.
Everett told the American-Statesman that data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees the programs, does not count the clients served by 16 of her providers; the agency said its data is accurate.
The folks who were competing for this grant and who wanted to participate in this part of the grant program envisioned seeing many more women than they actually did, said Stacey Pogue, senior policy analyst with Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities. There might be some barriers the state can help reduce. It might have just been guesses that were not realistic from the outset.
Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/state-contractors-spent-million-served-fewer-women-than-expected/FfnjZZmiY3mzH66HuIFuCO/