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2mo ago

Judge Extends Restraining Order Blocking Medicaid Defunding of Planned Parenthood

The ruling preserves Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortion services through July 21 pending further litigation.

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A sign in support of Planned Parenthood is seen outside a town hall meeting for Republican U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy in Metairie, Louisiana, U.S. February 22, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman/File Photo
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

  • U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani extended her temporary restraining order Friday to block the one-year ban on Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood affiliates through at least July 21.
  • On July 11 the Justice Department filed a motion to dissolve the injunction, arguing that blocking the provision encroaches on Congress’s legislative authority.
  • Some affiliates, including Planned Parenthood of Florida, have resumed scheduling Medicaid patients under the injunction while others remain cautious amid legal uncertainty.
  • Earlier this month clinics in Washington, D.C., and Colorado halted Medicaid services, canceling hundreds of appointments and forcing about 5,000 Colorado beneficiaries to seek new primary care providers.
  • If the defunding provision ultimately takes effect, it could cut off Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortion care at roughly 200 Planned Parenthood centers nationwide.