Sixteen-month-old Tazia Atencio with her mother Alexis Parker, 17, in Walsenberg in 2011. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)
Re: “Colorado claims contraceptive program caused big drop in teen birth rates,” Aug. 3 news story.
It is time to renew the Colorado Family Planning Initiative. Many of our conservative legislators are planning to vote against it. However, studies show that for every dollar spent on family planning programs, Colorado saves $7.09 on other programs.
What does that mean for Colorado? Between 2010 and 2012, anywhere between 4,300 and 9,700 unintended pregnancies were avoided, saving you and me between $49 million and $111 million in Medicaid funds. With these historic savings in mind, renewing the Colorado Family Planning Initiative should be a no brainer. Unfortunately, “no brainer” currently best describes those who oppose this bill.
John Walker, Denver
This letter was published in the Aug. 8 edition.
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