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2d ago

Massachusetts and 23 States Sue to Block Medicaid Defunding of Planned Parenthood

A federal judge granted an injunction allowing clinics to keep billing Medicaid pending resolution of the challenge.

FILE - A Planned Parenthood sign is displayed on the outside of the clinic, Aug. 1, 2023, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
FILE - California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks at a news conference at the San Francisco Public Library's Bernal Heights branch in San Francisco, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
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Overview

  • Massachusetts led a coalition of 23 mostly Democratic states in filing suit Tuesday in Boston against the Department of Health and Human Services over a budget provision.
  • The contested measure in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act suspends Medicaid reimbursements for one year to any provider that performs abortions or received over $800,000 in federal funds in 2023.
  • Plaintiff states contend the provision singles out Planned Parenthood for its political advocacy, violating clinics’ free speech and association rights under the First Amendment.
  • U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary nationwide injunction permitting Planned Parenthood affiliates to continue billing Medicaid while the litigation proceeds.
  • HHS officials defend the funding ban as a means to preserve state flexibility and accountability by not financing organizations prioritizing political advocacy over patient care.