Kathy Kneer, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, released a statement Tuesday denying allegations in a lawsuit that PPAC overcharged the government for oral contraceptives, the Los Angeles Times reports. Kneer said the allegations are “completely misleading,” adding that California officials “thoroughly reviewed our billing practices and said that Planned Parenthood did not act improperly because we were given contradictory guidance on billing from the state” (Ornstein, Los Angeles Times, 3/12).

The lawsuit was filed by Victor Gonzalez, former vice president of finance and administration of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. Gonzalez alleges that Planned Parenthood overcharged the state and federal governments by $180 million for birth control pills. An official at the state Department of Health Care Services said that the organization does not indigence to repay any funds even now reimbursed by California because the state’s own rules were unclear (Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, 3/11).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up despite email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free business of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

&transcript; 2007 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.