Supreme Court authorizes cutting funding to Planned Parenthood

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In a split 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday in the case Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic that states can exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid funding, even when those clinics use those funds for non-abortion-related services, such as contraception or cancer screening.

The ruling, prepared by Justice Neil Gorsuch and supported by the court's conservative majority, argues that while Medicaid law allows for provider choice, that provision is not an enforceable right in the courts. According to Gorsuch, policy and budget issues are the responsibility of elected representatives, not the courts.

The controversy centers on South Carolina, where in 2018 Governor Henry McMaster (R) ordered Planned Parenthood to be removed from Medicaid. The organization responded with a lawsuit, arguing that the decision violated patients' right to choose their provider. The Supreme Court, however, ruled that the lawsuit had no legal basis under the Medicaid Act.

Governor McMaster called the ruling a "victory for the sanctity of life" and a testament to states' ability to decide how public funds are used.

The Republican wing of Congress is seeking to replicate this measure nationally; the federal budget supported by former President Trump includes similar cuts.

Criticisms and concerns

• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, joined by Kagan and Sotomayor, warned that this decision “will likely cause tangible harm to real people”, by preventing Medicaid from choosing its provider.
• Groups like the Guttmacher Institute predict that this ruling will make it easier for more states to exclude Planned Parenthood from public programs, posing a threat to reproductive health care.
• Organizations such as the American Cancer Society and public health advocates have emphasized that the court system is the only way to ensure provider choice in Medicaid, especially in rural areas.

Context and consequences

• According to Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, it receives nearly $100,000 annually from Medicaid, which is used solely for non-abortion services such as birth control, STI testing, and cancer screening.
• Even with the loss of funding, the organization assured that it will continue to provide care without billing Medicaid.
• The measure would coincide with similar initiatives in states such as Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, and could involve the closure of nearly 200 clinics, mainly in states with legal abortion.

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Sources:

• The Supreme Court's
• AP News