Washington State’s TAKE CHARGE program, which began July 2001, expands Medicaid coverage for family planning services to men and women with family incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Program goals are to improve the health of women, children and families in Washington by reducing unintended pregnancies and lengthening intervals between births and to reduce state and federal Medicaid expenditures for births from unintended pregnancies and their associated costs. The Health and Recovery Services Administration (HRSA), formerly the Medical Assistance Administration (MAA), of the Department of Social and Health Services administers this program. This final evaluation report describes the first five years of program implementation, from July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2006. Data sources include client surveys; Medicaid claims data and eligibility history, and birth certificates from the First Steps Database.
