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Health Care Funding: Planned Parenthood Federation of America Affiliates' Expenditures of Federal Funds, 2016 through 2018

GAO-21-608R Published: Jun 22, 2021. Publicly Released: Jul 22, 2021.
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Fast Facts

We reviewed expenditures of federal funds reported by 39 Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) affiliates. PPFA affiliates, which operate over 600 centers across the U.S., receive federal funding to provide health-related services to patients.

From 2016-18, the 39 affiliates spent over $270 million in federal funds. The Department of Health and Human Services funded most of these expenditures—about $256 million (or 94% of total federal funding). The remaining funds were from the Departments of Agriculture, Justice, Housing and Urban Development, Education, and State, and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

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Highlights

What GAO Found

GAO reviewed reported expenditures of federal funds among 39 Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) affiliates from fiscal years 2016 through 2018 and found that they expended approximately $271 million in federal funds during that time frame. The majority—about $256 million (or 94 percent)—were expenditures of funds from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that were awarded through grant programs or cooperative agreements. Most of these expenditures were from funding PPFA affiliates received through grants awarded by the Office of Population Affairs to provide family planning services.

Why GAO Did This Study

In order to achieve their programmatic goals, federal agencies provide funding to various organizations that, in turn, use those funds to implement programs and activities aligned with those goals. For example, HHS may award funding through grants or cooperative agreements to PPFA affiliates, who then expend those funds to provide health-related services to patients.

GAO was asked to provide information on federal funding to PPFA affiliates. This report describes certain PPFA affiliates' reported expenditures of federal funds from grants and cooperative agreements during fiscal years 2016 through 2018. GAO reviewed expenditure data contained in audit reports submitted by 39 PPFA affiliates that were required to submit a single audit report to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse within at least one of the years covered by GAO's review.

For more information, contact Michelle B. Rosenberg at (202) 512-7114 or rosenbergm@gao.gov.

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AIDSAudit reportsReproductive health careCommunity serviceCooperative agreementsFederal agenciesFederal assistance programsFederal fundsFederal spendingGrant programsHealth careHousingAIDSMedicaid servicesMedicarePublic affairsPublic assistance programsSingle auditsSocial mediaUrban development