Supreme Court: States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood

States are allowed to stop giving Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s biggest abortion provider, following a Supreme Court ruling Thursday

The case, Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, focused on funds given to Planned Parenthood for other health care services outside of abortions in South Carolina. The court ruling was 6-3, with the three liberal justices dissenting.

Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic

The backstory:

Medicaid patients use Planned Parenthood for a variety of services – contraception, cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, etc. – but public funds generally can’t be spent on abortions. Planned Parenthood has said patients have a hard time finding a doctor who takes Medicaid. 

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South Carolina’s Republican governor Henry McMaster first moved to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood in 2018, arguing that Planned Parenthood shouldn’t receive any taxpayer money. A woman named Julie Edwards successfully challenged that move in court because of a provision in Medicaid law that allows patients to choose their own qualified provider.

FILE - Planned Parenthood signage on August 19th 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bill Tompkins/Getty Images)

What they're saying:

In Medina v. Planned Parenthood, South Carolina argued that patients shouldn’t be able to file those lawsuits, pointing to lower courts that have allowed states such as Texas to block Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood.

RELATED: Trump administration rescinds Biden-era emergency abortion guidelines

The other side:

The American Cancer Society and other public health organizations countered that lawsuits are the only way Medicaid patients have been able to advocate for choosing their own doctor. They say the high court’s latest decision would reduce health care access for Medicaid patients, particularly in rural areas. 

By the numbers:

In South Carolina, $90,000 in Medicaid funding goes to Planned Parenthood every year, a tiny fraction of the state’s total Medicaid spending. The state banned abortion at about six weeks’ gestation after the Supreme Court overturned nationwide abortion rights in 2022. 

READ MORE: Mississippi 'contraception begins at erections' bill. Here’s what we know

Trump’s budget bill targets Planned Parenthood

What's next:

The "big, beautiful" budget bill backed by President Donald Trump in Congress would also cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. If it passes, Planned Parenthood says it could force the closure of about 200 centers, most of them in states where abortion is legal. 

The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press. 

Supreme CourtHealth CareAbortion Laws