The Planned Parenthood clinic in New Orleans had been open for more than 40 years but stopped accepting patients in delayed September after federal Medicaid funding was cut. Abortion opponents are looking for more ways to get funding from the organization, even though legal abortion care makes up only a tiny portion of affiliated health centers’ services. (Photo by Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)
Anti-abortion organizations and elected Republicans are looking for more ways to prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding after Republicans in Congress successfully eliminated federal funding for Medicaid through at least July 2026.
Letters from activist organizations and elected Republicans reveal the stated goals of banning Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving any kind of federal funding and excluding them from the 340B drug pricing program. This means you can utilize Title
Anti-abortion activists also expect proposals for further restrictions on Planned Parenthood’s access to Medicaid Health legislation Early 2026.
In July, Republican members of the House and Senate passed a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that included a one-year provision banning clinics from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements if they provide abortion services and billed Medicaid more than $800,000 in fiscal year 2023. Because of the high dollar amount, the rule primarily affects Planned Parenthood, but some immense independent clinics are also affected.
Since then, more than 20 Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide have closed their doors, many of which did not offer abortion services. Others have laid off staff, also in Ohio. However, Maine Family Planning, the largest provider of reproductive health care in the state, also offered primary care services at three of its 18 clinics these services are discontinued End of October due to the lack of financing.
Katie Rodihan, director of state advocacy communications for Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement that these measures would make medications more steep and take away access to contraception, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and cancer screenings.
“These abortion opponents are so determined to abolish Planned Parenthood that they are willing to sacrifice your health care,” Rodihan said. “No matter what attack anti-abortion groups and politicians launch, Planned Parenthood Action Fund will always be ready to fight back for patients.”
Opposition to the organization receiving federal funding is rooted in the belief that its primary purpose is to provide abortion care, when in fact, according to recent evidence, abortions account for about 4% of the services Planned Parenthood clinics provide nationwide Annual report. But anti-abortion groups and many Republican lawmakers oppose federal money being tied in any way to legal abortion care, even if it does not directly pay for the procedure, except in constrained cases under the law.
In delayed September, Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt appointed sent a letter to the Administrator of the Federal Health Resources and Services Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, requesting that the agency revoke Planned Parenthood’s 340B drug pricing authority and deny all future applications for this designation. The letter is also signed by the Republican governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Several Republican-led states, including Ohio And Indianaalso recently attempted to remove Planned Parenthood from federal Medicaid funding.
“States across the country ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund or promote abortion, and in turn, these clinics look for workarounds to maintain their funding,” Stitt wrote. “Even if Planned Parenthood members with pro-life laws refrain from using federal funds for abortions, the organization’s national infrastructure still benefits, allowing abortion to expand in states where abortion is legal…”
Instead, Stitt proposed allocating funds to community health centers and rural hospitals.
The letter was sent five days before the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, and the agency has so far taken no action since reopening on Nov. 12.
The argument goes back to COVID loans
Students for Life of America, an anti-abortion group with more than 2,000 student chapters across the country, is leading the effort to pressure Republican President Donald Trump and his administration to disqualify Planned Parenthood as a provider with the federal government. The administrative process, known as “debarment,” typically applies to vendors accused of misconduct—such as fraud, embezzlement, default, or tax evasion—and is established by the U.S. General Services Administration.
A seller whose license has been revoked will not be able to receive any federal funds for a period of three years. There is also a lesser penalty for suspension, which lasts up to 12 months.
Kristi Hamrick, vice president of media and policy at Students for Life, told States Newsroom that members began discussing the idea toward the end of Trump’s first term, but because it involves a long administrative process, there wasn’t enough time to pursue it before Democratic President Joe Biden took office.
Students for Life sent one letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration on Oct. 22, along with a letter to the president’s office signed by more than 50 other anti-abortion groups encouraging them to begin the expulsion process. There has been no response from the tiny business agency so far, Hamrick said, but employees only recently returned to work after the 43-day closure.
The letter to Trump was signed by other prominent anti-abortion organizations, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Family Policy Alliance, Americans United for Life, Family Research Council and National Right to Life.
In addition to allegations of financial fraud, the letter to the Small Business Administration accuses Planned Parenthood of a number of other violations and mentions lawsuits filed against the organization led by Republican attorneys general in states including Missouri and Texas.
Hamrick said the letter went to the agency because Republican U.S. Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Joni Ernst of Iowa wrote one letter their own in March approximately alleged fraud committed by Planned Parenthood. They wrote that many of its subsidiaries – which are independent nonprofit organizations – applied for and received approximately $120 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID pandemic.
The two senators said Planned Parenthood was not eligible for the loans because organizations with more than 500 employees were excluded. Planned Parenthood argued the national organization and regional affiliates were separate — the affiliates applied individually — and guidelines for the loans were later updated by the Biden administration to allow them. Most loans have been forgiven.
Other entities have also been accused of abusing the intent of the Paycheck Protection Program, including Catholic Charities USA, a Catholic Church humanitarian aid agency with more than 3,000 employees. The Associated Press reported The organization and its member agencies received approximately 110 loans valued at up to $220 million that were forgiven.
Hamrick said Republicans in Congress should continue their efforts to exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid reimbursements, but more can be done.
“We don’t need to continue to vote on whether or not Planned Parenthood can be funded in a program like Medicaid when they don’t qualify for funding at all,” Hamrick said.
States are still hit demanding by cuts
Hamrick said she hopes Republican lawmakers will extend the Medicaid cuts for 10 years or longer this time because this first round of cuts did not have “serious consequences.”
Dr. Chelsea Daniels, a member of the Committee to Protect Health Care’s Reproductive Freedom Task Force, disagrees. She moved out of Florida two months ago, where she was working in Miami for Planned Parenthood of Florida and trying to aid pass an amendment that would have enshrined the right to abortion in the state constitution. Although 57% of voters voted for it, 60% is required by law.
This demoralizing loss after many days of having to tell people she couldn’t legally aid them became too much. Florida has a six-week ban on abortion, with exceptions for rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies and human trafficking. But Daniels said she regularly saw sexual assault victims unable to have an abortion despite providing documents.
“Florida kind of pulverized me, honestly. I felt worn down at the end,” Daniels said.
She moved to California and now practices as a family planning physician at Planned Parenthood in Orange and San Bernardino Counties. In its first week there, the subsidiary announced it would close its primary care practice because of the Medicaid cuts, lay off 77 employees and send 13,000 patients to seven clinics who were seeking basic care elsewhere such as high blood pressure treatment, vaccinations, annual health exams and diabetes management. The last day of service is December 10th.
Daniels was not involved in the layoffs but said the loss of care for so many patients was devastating.
“I left Florida for good reason, but the state of the country as a whole is not good,” Daniels said. “And I don’t think our federal government cares. They think it’s just collateral damage and punishment for anyone who’s ever been associated with Planned Parenthood.”
This story was originally produced by News from the Stateswhich is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network that includes West Virginia Watch, and is a 501c(3) public charity supported by grants and a coalition of donors.
