Supreme Court to Review South Carolina's Bid to Cut Medicaid Funding to Planned Parenthood Over Patient Choice

Dec 18, 2024, 05:16 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case from South Carolina challenging the state's attempt to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. The case, which has been before the court multiple times, centers on whether Medicaid-eligible patients have the right to choose their healthcare provider, including those associated with Planned Parenthood. South Carolina's effort to defund Planned Parenthood stems from the organization's provision of abortion services, despite also offering other healthcare services such as cancer screenings and family planning. The state's move is part of a broader effort by conservative-leaning states to restrict funding to abortion providers. The Supreme Court will specifically consider whether the Medicaid Act's any-qualified-provider provision unambiguously confers a private right upon a Medicaid beneficiary to choose a specific provider. The case was initiated by Julie Edwards, a patient who sought to use Planned Parenthood for contraception services, and is being represented by the conservative Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom. The dispute began following a 2018 decision by South Carolina to end Planned Parenthood's participation in its Medicaid program, a move that was blocked by a federal district court and upheld by the Fourth Circuit. South Carolina now bans all abortions after six weeks.