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2d ago

DOJ Files Motion to End Injunction Blocking Planned Parenthood Medicaid Cuts

The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to dissolve a restraining order that bars Medicaid cuts to Planned Parenthood, prompting some affiliates to halt services as low-income patients search for new care.

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Volunteer escorts wait to assist incoming patients outside of the Planned Parenthood on July 18, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. With recent restrictions to abortions in other states Planned Parenthood has seen an increase in women coming to Colorado from out of state. Planned Parenthood's Colorado locations served women from 34 states last year and one in 10 abortions was for someone who crossed state lines. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
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Overview

  • On July 11, the Justice Department moved to lift U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani’s temporary restraining order that has kept Medicaid reimbursements flowing to Planned Parenthood affiliates.
  • Judge Talwani’s injunction, in place until at least July 21 and secured by a $100 bond requirement, blocks a one-year defunding provision in the July 4 reconciliation act.
  • Planned Parenthood affiliates in Washington, D.C., and the Rocky Mountains have stopped accepting Medicaid, cancelling hundreds of appointments and leaving about 5,000 Colorado patients without their primary care provider.
  • After the injunction, Planned Parenthood of Florida resumed scheduling Medicaid patients; other affiliates have kept services on hold pending the court’s final ruling.
  • Health-policy analysts warn that if the one-year ban is enforced, roughly 200 Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide could shut down, deepening gaps in reproductive and preventive care for low-income Americans.