Judge orders Medicaid funding temporarily restored to all Planned Parenthood affiliates
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani expands on a decision last week, when she issued a preliminary injunction restoring Medicaid funding for only 10 Planned Parenthood affiliates.
'Patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted or unavailable,' Talwani wrote in her Monday order. 'In particular, restricting Members' ability to provide healthcare services threatens an increase in unintended pregnancies and attendant complications because of reduced access to effective contraceptives, and an increase in undiagnosed and untreated STIs.'
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which advocates for abortion rights and does not provide medical care, sued on behalf of all of its 47 regional affiliates, along with its Utah and Massachusetts chapters.
The lawsuit contests a provision in the new law that imposes a one-year ban on state Medicaid payments to health care nonprofits that also offer abortions and received more than $800,000 in federal funding in 2023.
Talwani's ruling last week was narrow. The injunction applied only to affiliates in states where abortion is illegal, and to ones that did not exceed the $800,000 revenue threshold.
'A preliminary injunction maintains Planned Parenthood Members' ability to seek Medicaid reimbursements — and maintain their status quo level of service to patients,' Talwani wrote on Monday.
Taxpayer money is already prohibited from covering most abortions.
Instead, the new law cuts reimbursement for other health services provided by Planned Parenthood and other health centers, like cancer screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
'As this case continues, patients across the country can still go to their trusted Planned Parenthood provider for care using Medicaid. We will keep fighting this cruel law so that everyone can get birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and other critical health care, no matter their insurance,' Planned Parenthood president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement.
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