New Supreme Court Ruling on Medicaid & Planned Parenthood
This morning, the Supreme Court ruled that South Carolina can exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program — allowing the state to deny funding for essential healthcare services and jeopardizing the very survival of these health centers.
This is a drastic change to Medicaid, which throughout its 60-year history has specified that eligible patients can access care at any qualified provider of their choosing. There is arguably no more qualified reproductive healthcare provider than Planned Parenthood.
To be clear, federal Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood does not cover abortion services. It funds contraception, cancer screenings, STI testing, annual exams, and other critical care for women and families — particularly in low-income communities. Thirty-four Planned Parenthood clinics have already closed across the country in the past year, and this ruling will only accelerate that trend in anti-choice states.
This is not just about South Carolina. It's part of a broader, coordinated effort to restrict access to care in order to strip women of the freedom to make personal decisions about their bodies and futures.
While courts may greenlight these attacks, it’s state legislators who set them in motion.
Today’s ruling reaffirms the need for Project 50’s critical work to build political power for reproductive rights at the state level. We invest in and grow state-based organizations that build political power for abortion rights, starting in states that have already endangered women and girls by banning abortion care.
This decision is a stark reminder of what’s at stake, and while it is easy to turn to anger and frustration, we must redouble our efforts and allow this to reinvigorate our resolve.
Please consider making a one-time or recurring contribution today to support Project 50’s efforts to defeat anti-choice leaders and build long-term power for reproductive rights.
In solidarity,
Bryan Howard
Paid for by Project 50 (project50.net) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.