​Reproductive Health

Family Planning

The Family Planning Services program in Pennsylvania provides services, information, and counseling related to family planning. Services are free or low-cost and are always confidential.

Who Qualifies?

The program provides family planning and family planning-related services, pharmaceuticals and supplies to people of any age who:

• Are not otherwise eligible for Medical Assistance;
  
• Have an income at or below 215 percent of the Federal Poverty Limit;
  
• Are not pregnant;
  
• Are residents of Pennsylvania; and
  
• Are U.S. citizens or have a satisfactory immigration status and identification.
  

What Services Are Covered?

The following is a partial list of the services included in this Family Planning Services program: 

• Office visits to your family planning health care provider for evaluation, follow up, and referral to other health care providers as necessary
• Counseling from your health care provider regarding pregnancy — to prepare for pregnancy, to prevent unintended pregnancies, and to enable individuals to control the timing and spacing of pregnancies
• Initiation and management of contraception, including male and female sterilization
• Birth control supplies and medications
• Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) with vaccine and condoms
• Treatment of STDs through medications and/or procedures
• Laboratory services for the screening of STDs, HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), anemia, sickle cell disease and pregnancy
• Screening and education regarding breast, reproductive and testicular cancer
• Counseling regarding smoking cessation

A typical family planning office visit for women may include: a pelvic exam; screenings for breast and reproductive cancers; screening for high blood pressure, anemia and diabetes; tests for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV; counseling about a woman's plans for pregnancy, and if appropriate, a prescription for contraception.

A typical family planning office visit for men may include testing and treatment for STDs and condoms for prevention, HIV testing and prevention education, testicular exams and education about testicular cancer, and information on safe and effective contraception for you and your partner.   

If you have questions about what is covered, please check with your provider.

How to Apply

You can apply for the Family Planning Services program by:

• Completing an application on COMPASS, or
• Completing a paper application.

COMPASS is the online application for Pennsylvanians to apply for many health and human services programs, including the Family Planning Services program.  This is the easiest, fastest, and preferred way to apply for family planning servicesod. 

The paper application is called "Application for Health Care Coverage."  It is available at county assistance offices (CAOs) and on this site.  After you complete the application, you will need to mail it to your local CAO.

Additional Information

• Community Partner Information
  
• Health Care Provider Information
  

For more information about PA's Family Planning Services program, email RA-PWFamilyPlanning@pa.gov or call 1-800-537-8862.

Women’s Health Services

The new Women's Service Program will support women in an empathetic, culturally-informed way no matter their background, identity, or income, and specifically seeks to assist pregnant women and new mothers through this critical period. Grantees and their partners will foster access to:

• Prenatal care and postpartum supports;
• Early detection and prevention of health conditions;
• Parenting education programming;
• Menstrual and reproductive health education and products as needed;
• Sexually-transmitted infection testing and care or referrals; and,
• Referrals for assistance with other physical or behavioral health care needs.
  

DHS issued a Request for Applications this past summer seeking grantees to provide services under this new program starting January 2024. The grantees and their service areas are:

• Region 1: Adagio Health (serving Cameron, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango, and Warren counties)
• Region 2: Adagio Health (serving Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties)
• Region 3: Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania (serving Adams, Bedford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, and York counties)
• Region 4: Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania (serving Blair, Bradford, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Tioga, Union, and Sullivan counties) 
• Region 5: Maternal & Family Health Services (serving Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wyoming, and Wayne counties)
• Region 6: Maternity Care Coalition (serving Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties)

Grantees also are able to establish partnerships with other local service providers that can offer care and support in line with the program's goals and requirements. Organizations interested in offering services through the Women's Service Program are encouraged to contact the grantee for their region to discuss opportunities to participate.