Trump's Cuts Force Patients to Travel 50 Miles for Healthcare: A Very Bleak Future Ahead?

Due to the shutdown of one nearby Planned Parenthood At the start of May, students from Utah State University located in Logan, Utah, encountered a "daunting" challenge when trying to access healthcare services. This led to the establishment of a ride-sharing system so that individuals could travel the two-hour round trip to reach a clinic situated 50 miles away, as reported by local residents. Raw Story .

Bridget Ackroyd, a USU senior, mentioned that Logan felt "isolated" and like "its own separate world," particularly since there’s no public transportation available to get to Ogden, which has the nearest remaining Planned Parenthood facility still operational.

The closure of the Logan clinic impacts students who might find themselves in family scenarios where they can’t afford to bill an STI test to their health insurance, yet they remain committed to maintaining their well-being and safety, as noted by Ackroyd.

The Logan clinic is one of two Planned Parenthood health centers in Utah — among at least a dozen across the U.S., according to Raw Story analysis — to shutter since President Donald Trump took office and froze federal funds for family planning services.

"It’s incredibly disheartening that now these individuals who counted on our support must either embark on long journeys, postpone their medical treatment, or find alternative methods to receive the healthcare they’ve been relying on," said Shireen Ghorbani, interim president of the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, speaking with Raw Story.

“It's a big blow to these communities.”

A late-March freeze On Title X grants – federal funds that cover family planning services ranging from contraception to cancer screening and testing for sexually transmitted infections – merely marks the beginning of financial hurdles faced by Planned Parenthood clinics throughout the United States. more than 300 of its nearly 600 clinics across the country utilizing Title X funds.

Suggested reductions to Medicaid within a large bill proposed by Republicans that advanced emerged from the House Budget Committee late Sunday but is still undergoing revisions. negotiated between GOP factions could target Planned Parenthood centers that likewise get compensated through patients using Medicaid for payments.

“The dismantling of health care in this country is happening before our very eyes,” Ghorbani said, “and now in this new budget … removing Title X, reductions in Medicaid, all of this is really spiraling us into a very, very bleak future when it comes to access to health care, especially for folks living on the margins in this country.”

Planned Parenthood has lost more than $20 million in Title X grants and $6 million for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program, said Laurel Sakai, national director of public policy and government affairs at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

"We completely expect that we're merely scratching the surface, with Title X funding potentially disappearing entirely under this administration," Ghorbani stated.

‘Dismantling access’

The Planned Parenthood Association of Utah opted to close its Logan and St. George facilities on May 2 following the Trump administration’s freeze of $2.8 million in Title X funding.

In 2024, the Logan clinic treated approximately 1,650 patients, whereas the St. George clinic saw close to 3,000 individuals, as stated by Ghorbani. He also mentioned that around 18 employees were laid off from their positions.

Ackroyd, the USU senior, informed Raw Story that closing the Logan clinic was a "setback" for students who utilized a sliding-scale payment method rather than charging it to their parents' insurance.

"If patients are seeking services such as a birth control prescription or an STI examination, and their parents could potentially react negatively upon seeing these charges, this raises concerns about the security for those students wishing to obtain healthcare without informing their parents," Ackroyd explained.

In Logan, alternative healthcare providers include Intermountain Health and the campus health center; however, both require insurance. Additionally, Ackroyd mentioned that patients often face long waits, sometimes extending over several hours.

Ackroyd mentioned that at the Planned Parenthood facility in Logan, she managed to secure a same-day booking for an intrauterinerdevice.

The Trump administration is eliminating access to essential healthcare services by limiting these funds," stated Ghorbani. "This leads to a loss of medical care and job opportunities for people, all due to the policies implemented under the Trump administration.

‘Fundamental misunderstanding’

According to health policy nonprofit KFF Planned Parenthood gets about one-third of its income from state and federal government funding.

However, due to the Hyde Amendment—a federal policy enacted in 1977—Planned Parenthood health centres do not use any public money for abortion procedures. According to KFF data, these account for only about 4 percent of their overall services.

In its newly released 2023-2024 annual report, Planned Parenthood reported that out of over 9.45 million services provided, 402,230 were abortion procedures, with 34% of their income originating from government health service reimbursements and grants.

Nevertheless, towards the end of April, the House Speaker did this. Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced Defunding "big abortion" was one of Trump's key policy goals.

Sakai stated that the assaults on Planned Parenthood were "expected, given their efforts against us during the initial Trump administration."

However, "Planned Parenthood isn't just an entry in the budget," Sakai stated. "People specifically choose this facility for essential healthcare services, and these individuals aim to remove those rights and choices from others."

Cara Schumann, who serves as the deputy director for federal strategies, abortion justice organization, All* Above All As stated by one out of every 11 women, especially those enrolled in Medicaid, receive their reproductive health services from Planned Parenthood facilities.

That means cuts to Medicaid as well as federal grants like Title X and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program would be a “double whammy” for Planned Parenthood, she said.

"This is their effort to cut funding from PlannedParenthood clinics for the reproductive healthcare services they offer, including cancer screenings, STI tests, and fundamental contraception," Schumann explained toRawStory.

It appears to be more about a basic miscomprehension regarding what Planned Parenthood offers, what healthcare entails, and the services individuals require.

Sakai said Planned Parenthood was gearing up to work with “champions in Congress” to “fight back against [the cuts] with any tools they have, to show that this isn't really about the budget or about any of their concerns they're pretending to raise about waste, fraud and abuse of the Medicaid program.”

We understand their aim is to close down health centers, and we're aware that our clinics are working tirelessly to maintain healthcare within their local areas.

EXCLUSIVE: A breastfeeding mother of a U.S. citizen files lawsuit against Kristi Noem following an incident involving ICE grabbing her.

Related Articles:

・ "Heartless": Trump’s $660 Million Cut to School Food Programs Marks Latest GOP Assault on Nutrition Assistance

・ Within Trump's 'attack on children'

・ 'Why us, why now?': Farmers paying stiff price as Trump’s USDA cuts slam food banks and schools

・ "We don’t want moms and dads getting anxious": Education official from a conservative state worries over potential Trump administration budget reductions