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Nationwide Injunction Blocks Medicaid Defunding of Abortion Providers

The injunction spares hundreds of clinics from Medicaid cuts, shifting the dispute to prolonged constitutional review.

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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

  • U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani’s July 28 order halts enforcement of Section 71113, preserving Medicaid reimbursements for nonprofits that provide abortions and received over $800,000 in federal funding.
  • A coalition of 22 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court on July 29–30 seeking permanent relief from the one-year Medicaid ban.
  • Plaintiffs contend the provision singles out abortion advocacy, violates First Amendment free speech and association rights, and jeopardizes critical preventive and primary care for low-income patients.
  • The Department of Health and Human Services defends the measure as an accountability tool for organizations that “choose political advocacy over patient care,” according to HHS spokesperson Andrew G. Nixon.
  • Several Planned Parenthood affiliates, including five California clinics, have closed due to lost Medicaid payments and face continued risk without a lasting court decision.