News

Planned Parenthood gets clean audit from state

by Walter Pierce

A new audit says Planned Parenthood in Louisiana has complied with laws that ban public funds from being used to pay for abortions or to encourage abortions.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A new audit says Planned Parenthood in Louisiana has complied with laws that ban public funds from being used to pay for abortions or to encourage abortions.

Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office released the review Monday, in response to requests from the state House and Senate during last year's legislative session.

Auditors looked at nearly $642,000 in Medicaid payments made by the state health department to Planned Parenthood during 2012 for 26,000 health services claims.

The review says payments were made for allowable family planning services. It says auditors found no indication that Planned Parenthood recommended a patient have an abortion or performed an abortion.

State law prohibits the use of public funds for abortions except to save the life of the mother or in instances of rape or incest.