WASHINGTON D.C. — A Supreme Court decision Thursday bolsters efforts by conservative states to defund Planned Parenthood and could have impacts on the rights of patients who use Medicaid.
In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the justices ruled that patients do not have a right to sue states over how they manage Medicaid, essentially allowing South Carolina, the state at the center of the lawsuit, to cut Medicaid funding for any qualified health care provider for any reason.
- Read the full decision below
This comes as conservatives have been pushing to defund Planned Parenthood, one of the most widely known abortion providers in the country.
“The concerning piece is it sets a precedent for what other states can do to restrict funding through Medicaid,” said US Representative Brittany Pettersen of Colorado’s 7th Congressional District. “In rural places, this is the only option that so many women have just for basic health care.”
Planned Parenthood gets a third of its funding from government contracts, including Medicaid. Those reimbursements are for services such as cancer screenings, contraception, vaccines and other health care not related to abortions. Not all Planned Parenthood locations offer abortion services.
Federal law already prohibits using federal funds for abortion.
National Politics
Supreme Court rules states can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood
Rep. Pettersen told Denver7 Planned Parenthood was a place she sought healthcare while waiting tables and going to school.
“I could not afford insurance, and I went to Planned Parenthood to have access to birth control to make sure that I was healthy,” Pettersen said. “When you're unable to pay for health insurance, when you don't have access to a place like Planned Parenthood, it means you're going to go without that critical care.”
The Supreme Court's decision stems from a 2018 case in South Carolina. A patient, Julie Edwards, wanted to go to Planned Parenthood for birth control because her diabetes made pregnancy potentially dangerous. When the state cut funding for Planned Parenthood, Edwards sued under a provision in Medicaid law that allows patients to choose their own provider.
South Carolina argued patients should not be able to file lawsuits over that provision, and the Supreme Court agreed.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, who issued the executive order in 2018 that sparked the original lawsuit, issued a statement Thursday:
"Seven years ago, we took a stand to protect the sanctity of life and defend South Carolina's authority and values – and today, we are finally victorious," said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. "The legality of my executive order prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood has been affirmed by the highest court in the land.”
The justice’s decision will not only have impacts on the future of Planned Parenthood, but it could be a major shift in Medicaid law and patients’ rights.
