Overview

• U.S. District Judge Lance Walker on Monday declined to order Medicaid reimbursements to resume for Maine Family Planning while its lawsuit proceeds.
• At issue is President Donald Trump’s July measure that bars reimbursements to organizations primarily engaged in family planning that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023.
• The decision contrasts with a separate federal order last month requiring Planned Parenthood clinics to keep receiving Medicaid payments during their case.
• The Justice Department argued Congress may choose not to fund organizations that provide abortions, a rationale the court found sufficient at this stage.
• Maine Family Planning’s 18 clinics serve roughly 8,000 low-income patients with services including primary care, contraception and screenings, and the nonprofit warns it may halt primary care by late October, with gender-affirming care also at risk.