NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A big reason people don't go to the doctor is because it's expensive.
Some government programs make things more affordable, but when it comes to family planning services it gets complicated.
In Tennessee, a recent move by the state could make it even tougher for undocumented women to access reproductive care.
The state lost Title X dollars earlier this year. It reallocated money to cover the services, but apparently only for some people. The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition or TIRRC says undocumented Tennesseans were left out.
Advocates say it's possible it was intentional.
"What we have seen, unfortunately, is that at every opportunity there are some of our political leaders or elected leaders who have chosen to harm and go after immigrant families rather than do what's necessary to protect all Tennesseans," Judith Clerjeune, campaigns and advocacy director at TIRRC, said.
The state lost Title X funding because it failed to mandate that any eligible person seeking the basic family planning services be given information about all their options, including abortion.
The money the governor shuffled around in the budget to fill the void doesn't help most new Americans who might be seeking birth control.
"It doesn't make sense for us to want a healthy state and at the same time deprive people of the critical health care resources that they need to actually be healthy and thrive," Clerjeune said.
Lack of access to health care often contributes to higher rates of disease and unintended pregnancies. Asian and Pacific Islander immigrant women have high rates of cervical cancer, and more than half of all pregnancies among Latina women are unintended, according to Planned Parenthood.
The governor's office told us the budget includes about $7.5 million in recurring state funding to make up for the Title X money. It didn't comment on what is or is not available for undocumented people.
