The U.S. Supreme Court signaled openness to South Carolina’s effort to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, a move that could embolden other Republican-led states seeking to strip public funds from abortion providers.
During Wednesday’s hearing, conservative justices pressed legal arguments on whether Medicaid recipients have the right to challenge such state-level decisions in court. The case stems from South Carolina’s attempt to bar Planned Parenthood South Atlantic from receiving Medicaid reimbursements, arguing that its abortion services make it unqualified for public funding—despite the fact that Medicaid funds do not directly cover abortions.
The dispute hinges on whether Medicaid guarantees patients the ability to receive care from any qualified provider. South Carolina contends that the law does not explicitly grant individuals the right to sue over such exclusions. In contrast, Planned Parenthood and a Medicaid patient argue that the law was designed to prevent states from arbitrarily limiting healthcare access.
With a 6-3 conservative majority on the bench, the Supreme Court’s decision could set a precedent for similar battles across the country. Since the 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, several states have tightened abortion restrictions, making access to reproductive healthcare a fiercely contested issue.
Planned Parenthood’s South Carolina clinics serve Medicaid patients with a range of services, including cancer screenings, contraceptive care, and pregnancy tests. The organization sued after the state’s Republican governor ordered its removal from Medicaid in 2018, triggering a legal battle that has now reached the nation’s highest court for the third time.
A ruling is expected by June, with far-reaching implications for how states can regulate Medicaid providers and whether patients have a legal path to challenge such decisions.
