Supreme Court Sides Against Medicaid Patients in South Carolina

Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic to eliminate Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood in South Carolina is a blatant attack on the health care provider and on reproductive freedom.

This decision (the justices ruled 6-3, with Justices Jackson, Sotomayor, and Kagan dissenting) will result in restricted access for reproductive health services for Medicaid patients, forcing those who trust Planned Parenthood with their annual exams, cancer screenings, birth control, and countless other health care services to find a different provider, and violating the congressional mandate that Medicaid patients be empowered to choose any qualified provider for their care.

It is only a matter of time before other states follow suit — which will be devastating to reproductive health care access for over 71 million Americans with Medicaid coverage across the United States.

Access to safe, affordable reproductive health care — including abortion — should be available to everybody who wants it. We will not stop advocating for reproductive health and rights until they are guaranteed for everyone around the world.

John Seager, President of Population Connection Action Fund, said:

“There is absolutely nothing ‘pro-life’ about policies that intimidate patients and restrict their access to health care by qualified providers like Planned Parenthood. Such policies are riddled with hypocrisy, misogyny, and discrimination, and pose a threat to patients’ health, well-being, and lives. The Supreme Court justices who joined the majority opinion have violated their oath to “do equal right to the poor and to the rich.” Continuing to chip away at the reproductive agency of people who rely on public insurance is cruel and elitist and will have devastating consequences for millions of Americans.”

We stand with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates in their tireless work to provide high-quality comprehensive reproductive health services to all Americans.

Contact: Lauren Salmiery, National Field Director, lsalmiery@popconnect.org