Latest news with #JulieEdwards
Wall Street Journal
14 hours ago
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
Ejecting Planned Parenthood From Medicaid
South Carolina's effort to stop its Medicaid program from funding Planned Parenthood has been tied up in the courts for years, but on Thursday the Supreme Court gave the state a big win. In a 6-3 ruling, the Justices said the federal Medicaid law doesn't create an 'enforceable right' that Planned Parenthood or its patients can sue to vindicate. The Medicaid statute says states must let recipients get care from any 'qualified' provider, though it doesn't define that term. South Carolina's Governor issued an order in 2018 to deem abortion providers unqualified. 'The payment of taxpayer funds to abortion clinics, for any purpose, results in the subsidy of abortion and the denial of the right to life,' he said. Planned Parenthood sued, along with one of its Medicaid patients, Julie Edwards, who was seeking birth control and routine services. But as Justice Neil Gorsuch writes for the Court's six conservatives in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, Congress can put conditions on federal funding, such as for Medicaid, without creating any 'right' for private citizens to enforce those terms in court. 'Though it is rare enough for any statute to confer an enforceable right, spending-power statutes like Medicaid are especially unlikely to do so,' Justice Gorsuch says. He surveys the history and finds that 'early courts described federal grants not as commands but as contracts.' If Congress wants to create an enforceable right, it must do so unambiguously.
USA Today
a day ago
- Health
- USA Today
SCOTUS boosts effort to defund Planned Parenthood. It's a win for women's health.
I hope other states will now bar using tax dollars to pay for abortions and ban Planned Parenthood from participating in Medicaid. A new Supreme Court ruling could be the beginning of the end of Planned Parenthood's ability to receive Medicaid funding for abortions. In a 6-3 decision released June 26, the court ruled that patients can't bring a lawsuit challenging South Carolina's decision to halt Planned Parenthood's participation in the state's Medicaid program. The ruling is a win for the pro-life community, women's health and taxpayers. I can't stand the fact that Planned Parenthood has for decades received taxpayer dollars to perform abortions. I hope now, with the ruling in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, that other states will act to end taxpayer subsidies of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has lost big time in this case, and it's long past time. As a pro-life mom, I'm glad Parenthood Parenthood lost tax dollars In 2018, South Carolina lawmakers enacted legislation that prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for an abortion. Planned Parenthood subsequently was denied participation in the state's Medicaid program. State leaders argued that a "variety of other nongovernmental entities and governmental agencies' would continue to provide 'access to necessary medical care and important women's health and family planning services.' But patient Julie Edwards and Planned Parenthood sued the state, arguing that the organization's exclusion violated the "free choice of provider" clause of the Medicaid program. A strong majority of justices rejected that argument, clearing the way for not only South Carolina but also other states to cut off tax dollars for the nation's most prominent abortion provider. Planned Parenthood has been dependent on tax dollars Taxpayers should never have been forced to pay for abortions, but that's precisely what has happened for many years. In past years, about 40% of Planned Parenthood's budget − more than $500 billion a year − has come from Medicaid and other government sources. Apologists for Planned Parenthood claim that abortions are only a small percentage of the services the organization provides. Yet, Planned Parenthood's 2023 annual report, released last year, shows that it performed nearly 400,000 abortions in 2022. That was more than 60% of all the reported abortions in the United States that year. As a staunch pro-life mom, that makes me nauseous. Taxpayers should not be forced to pay to end a life. Women need health care, but Planned Parenthood should function without taxpayer subsidies. Thousands of other providers also are available to help women with medical care. I hope other states will now bar using tax dollars to pay for abortions and ban Planned Parenthood from participating in Medicaid. Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Supreme Court Issues Ruling Impacting Medicaid—What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that states can block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, delivering a victory to Republicans seeking to defund the nation's largest abortion provider. The 6–3 decision, with the court's three liberal justices dissenting, centers on a South Carolina case involving non-abortion services such as contraception, cancer screenings, and pregnancy testing—but could have sweeping implications for Medicaid patients nationwide. Although federal law prohibits public health funds from being used for abortions, many low-income patients rely on Planned Parenthood for other essential health services, particularly in areas where it's difficult to find providers who accept Medicaid. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, a Republican, moved to cut off the organization's funding in 2018, arguing that no taxpayer dollars should go to Planned Parenthood. That action was initially blocked by a lawsuit from Julie Edwards, a patient who relies on the clinic for birth control due to a high-risk medical condition. The case also tested whether Medicaid patients have the legal right to sue over the choice of providers. While public health groups such as the American Cancer Society argued in court that lawsuits are often the only tool Medicaid recipients have to enforce their rights, South Carolina contended that patients should not be allowed to file such suits. The court's decision siding with the state could restrict patients' ability to challenge funding decisions, particularly in rural areas with limited access to care. Though Planned Parenthood receives only $90,000 annually in Medicaid funds from South Carolina—a small fraction of the state's total Medicaid budget—the ruling arrives as Congress considers a Trump-backed federal budget that would eliminate Medicaid funding to the group entirely. According to the organization, such cuts could force the closure of roughly 200 clinics, many in states where abortion remains legal. South Carolina currently bans abortion at around six weeks of pregnancy, following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the U.S. Supreme Court rules
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) WASHINGTON -- A divided U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to cut off Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood in a ruling handed down Thursday amid a wider Republican-backed push to defund the country's biggest abortion provider. The case centres on funding for other health-care services Planned Parenthood provides in South Carolina, but the ruling could have broader implications for Medicaid patients. The court split 6-3 in the opinion, with the three liberal justices dissenting. Public health-care money generally can't be used to pay for abortions. Medicaid patients go to Planned Parenthood for things like contraception, cancer screenings and pregnancy testing, in part because it can be tough to find a doctor who takes the publicly funded insurance, the organization has said. South Carolina's Republican governor says no taxpayer money should go to the organization. The budget bill backed by U.S. President Donald Trump in Congress would also cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. That could force the closure of about 200 centers, most of them in states where abortion is legal, the organization has said. Gov. Henry McMaster first moved to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood in 2018 but was blocked in court after a lawsuit from a patient named Julie Edwards. Edwards wanted to keep going there for birth control because her diabetes makes pregnancy potentially dangerous, so she sued over a provision in Medicaid law that allows patients to choose their own qualified provider. South Carolina, though, argued that patients shouldn't be able to file those lawsuits. The state pointed to lower courts that have been swayed by similar arguments and allowed states such as Texas to block Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood. Public health groups like the American Cancer Society, by contrast, said in court papers that lawsuits are the only real way that Medicaid patients have been able to enforce their right to choose their own doctor. Losing that right would reduce access to health care for people on the program, which is estimated to include one-quarter of everyone in the country. Rural areas could be especially affected, advocates said in court papers. In South Carolina, US$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 high court overturned it as a nationwide right in 2022. ------ By Lindsay Whitehurst
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules
The Supreme Court allowed states to cut off Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood in a ruling handed down Thursday amid a wider Republican-backed push to defund the country's biggest abortion provider. The case centers on funding for other health care services Planned Parenthood provides in South Carolina, but the ruling could have broader implications for Medicaid patients. Public health care money generally can't be used to pay for abortions. Medicaid patients go to Planned Parenthood for things like contraception, cancer screenings and pregnancy testing, in part because it can be tough to find a doctor who takes the publicly funded insurance, the organization has said. South Carolina's Republican governor says no taxpayer money should go the organization. The budget bill backed by President Donald Trump in Congress would also cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. That could force the closure of about 200 centers, most of them in states where abortion is legal, the organization has said. Gov. Henry McMaster first moved to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood in 2018 but was blocked in court after a lawsuit from a patient named Julie Edwards. Edwards wanted to keep going there for birth control because her diabetes makes pregnancy potentially dangerous, so she sued over a provision in Medicaid law that allows patients to choose their own qualified provider. South Carolina, though, argued that patients shouldn't be able to file those lawsuits. The state pointed to lower courts that have been swayed by similar arguments and allowed states such as Texas to block Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood. Public health groups like the American Cancer Society, by contrast, said in court papers that lawsuits are the only real way that Medicaid patients have been able to enforce their right to choose their own doctor. Losing that right would reduce access to health care for people on the program, which is estimated to include one-quarter of everyone in the country. Rural areas could be especially affected, advocates said in court papers. 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 high court overturned it as a nationwide right in 2022. ___
