Really Big Savings?

These numbers are extremely large.

A program that provides birth control and other reproductive health services to minors and low-income women saved state health programs an estimated $487 million from 2003 through 2007, a state report says

...or about $125 million/year.

The report, by what is now the state Department of Health Services, also found that the program met its primary purposes of preventing unintended births; reducing Medicaid spending on births to low-income women; and improving reproductive health care

OK...

The average cost of each birth that year was $5,791. The child, mother and father, if the child’s parents are married, also would be eligible for state health programs after the birth.

Uh-huh...

The report was done in March. But Newman, who also is executive director of Family Planning Health Services Inc., which operates seven clinics in central Wisconsin, did not learn of the estimated savings until this week.

“It’s 15 times what we expected,” Newman said. “It’s remarkable.”

$125 million/year?