Keroack Resigns

DATE:   March 30, 2007
TO:       Delegate Agencies, Board of Directors, Advocates and Staff
FROM:   Jody Leibman, Director of Public Policy
RE:        Keroack Resigns!

Controversial Deputy Assistant Secretary for HHS' Office of Population Affairs Dr. Eric Keroack announced Thursday that he will resign due to an unspecified action taken against his private medical practice in Massachusetts by state Medicaid officials.  A statement released by the Assistant Secretary for Health, Dr. John Agwunobi, read simply that  “Yesterday, Dr. Eric Keroack alerted us to an action taken against him by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Office of Medicaid.  As a result of this action, I accepted his resignation as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Population Affairs.  The Department will move forward as expeditiously as possible to fill this position.”

Dr. Keroack was in charge of Title X, a program which has effectively provided family planning services as an integral component of our national health care system for over three decades.  Keroack’s appointment (which did not require Senate confirmation) was met by public outcry against Bush’s choice of an ardent anti-choice ob-gyn and vocal supporter of abstinence-only education to this important post.

An unnamed HHS spokesperson would not specify what action had been taken by Massachusetts Medicaid officials, stating "We've said all we feel comfortable saying." Keroack on Thursday in an e-mail to colleagues said he "became aware" of the action taken by the Massachusetts Office of Medicaid and had initiated an appeals process, adding that the "appeals process will present a significant distraction to my ability to remain focused on my duties" (CQ HealthBeat, 3/29).

Dr. Keroack’s resignation presents Secretary Leavitt with the opportunity to appoint an appropriate individual who is qualified for the DASPA position and believes in the Title X program. 

To send a letter to Secretary Leavitt urging him to seek out appropriate candidates who are committed to family planning, please visit NFPRHA’s website.  Additionally, below is a sample letter that you can use to urge your legislator to contact Leavitt as well.

[SAMPLE LETTER]

March/April __, 2007

The Honorable __________

RE: Urge Secretary Leavitt to Appoint DASPA Committed to Family Planning   

Dear Senator/Representative ______________,

On behalf of [NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION], I am writing to request that you and your colleagues urge Secretary Leavitt to appoint an appropriate candidate to the newly vacant and very important position of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs (DASPA) within the Department of Health and Human Services. 

As you know, in November 2006, President Bush appointed Dr. Eric Keroack to the powerful DASPA post.  As DASPA, Dr. Keroack was in charge of Title X of the Public Health Services Act, a program which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1971 to fulfill the promise that “no American woman should be denied access to family planning assistance because of her economic condition.”

The Title X family planning program provides critical services to low-income women that are often difficult to obtain in other health care settings. Today, the program provides contraceptives, cancer screening, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and other preventive health care to nearly 800,000 low-income, uninsured women in California each year.  The 317 Title X clinic sites in California are at the forefront of efforts to reduce rates of unintended pregnancies, STIs (including HIV), and breast and cervical cancer. One impact of their efforts has been to help reduce the California teen pregnancy rate by over 46% in the last decade.  Moreover, every public dollar invested in family planning saves an estimated three dollars and eighty cents.

This week, Dr. Keroack submitted his resignation to the Assistant Secretary for Health at the Office of Population Affairs.  As Secretary Leavitt seeks Dr. Keroack’s replacement, it is critical that he consider only candidates with a demonstrated commitment to family planning services.  Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME/ORGANIZATION]

TAKE ACTION: Family PACT Waiver Update

As you know, the California Department of Health Services (DHS) has been negotiating with the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) for over two years in the renewal of the Family Planning Medicaid Waiver which helps to fund the Family PACT program.  During this time period, California Family PACT program has been operating from a series of waiver extensions.  Despite CMS’ threat to cut off the waiver as of March 31st, the waiver has now been extended until April 30, 2007 while negotiations continue; however, the future of the program is at a critical juncture.

While the waiver has been extended another month, CFHC believes the program may not continue past April 30th without our immediate action. We need your help to ensure that our Congressional representatives hear our collective voice in support of California’s waiver.

Attached please find a sample letter supporting California’s waiver and continued access to family planning services (Word Doc, 29K).  Now is the time to let your Congressional representative know what Family PACT means to you and to your community.  If possible, please include a personalized message or story to your representative letting him/her know:

• What Family PACT means to your community;
• What you have been able to accomplish by way of the Family PACT program;
• How many clients have been served under the program;
• How the program has helped to reduce teen pregnancy in your community;
• How the program has helped to reduce the occurrence of STIs in your community; and/or
• Any information or story that will help your representative put a ‘face’ to this issue and recognize the tremendous value and importance of this program to California.

Every letter counts!  We appreciate your support, and request that you send us a copy of your correspondence along with any feedback you may receive. For further information, contact Jody Leibman, Director of Public Policy, at leibmanj@cfhc.org or (213) 386-5614 ext. 4416.