Greater Detroit Area Health Council is reaching out to women, helping them avoid unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. Call 2-1-1 or visit www.healthcare4mi.com for information.

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Patricia McCarthy (313) 882-9200
September 8, 2009
Bridget Hurd (313) 965-4123

Detroit, Michigan…The Greater Detroit Area Health Council is sharing information about Plan First! a special program for women ages 19-44 who might otherwise not have access to family planning services. Plan First! provides access to free family planning health services for women who qualify. Coverage includes family planning related check ups, prescriptions, including birth control, and other helpful information.

“Plan First! provides free family planning services for women who might otherwise not be able to afford to see a doctor,” says Vern Davis Anthony, president of the Greater Detroit Area Health Council. “No woman should be without information about her health including how to plan for a healthy pregnancy, versus facing an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. A woman may already have children and want information regarding how to prevent or time a pregnancy. If a woman does decide to have a child, it can be on her terms and her schedule.”

“Many women, in particular younger women, are unaware that family planning services are available to them,” says Anthony. “With the economy worsening, women are losing access to care. Plan First! is a way for women to get the family planning help they need. The goal of Plan First! is to help women live healthier lives.”

To qualify for Plan First!, women need to be U. S. citizens or qualified aliens, Michigan residents with family incomes at or below 185% of the Federal poverty level, cannot be pregnant or receiving Medicaid, and without coverage for family planning services. For information, call 2-1-1 or visit www.healthcare4mi.com.

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