Whitmer has authorized Plan First!, which would build upon her commitment to provide critically important coverage to women and families. | Michigan.gov
Whitmer has authorized Plan First!, which would build upon her commitment to provide critically important coverage to women and families. | Michigan.gov
A new initiative has been announced by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) that will offer a wide range of medical services.
The name of the program is Plan First and it will provide 25,000 residents with STI/STD testing, cancer screenings, sterilization services, lab services, breast screenings, free contraception and treatment. The services would save recipients roughly $2,000 annually, according to a news release provided by the state government.
“All women and families should have the resources they need to decide when and if they want to start a family,” said Whitmer in the release. “Expanding access to family planning coverage through Plan First! to 25,000 Michiganders would protect bodily autonomy and strengthen reproductive freedom and save people up to $2,000 a year. The services would be wide-ranging, from birth control and cancer screenings to STI screenings and diagnostic services. As some extreme politicians try to take away access to reproductive health care, I will keep working to protect and expand it.”
Whitmer added that the services aid people with the organization of their lives and she would continue to fight for reproductive rights and affordable health care.
“Family planning contributes to improved health outcomes for infants, children, women and families,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “For many women, it is their entry point into the health care system. Plan First! is another important step in our efforts to increase access to health care coverage.”
The objective of the program is to help women and couples plan healthy pregnancies by providing access to birth control at little or no cost, along with access to high quality reproductive health care.
Roughly 25,000 do not qualify for the Healthy Michigan Program or traditional Medicaid, services that typically offer low or no-cost family planning services.
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