Supreme Court Bars Medicaid Suits, Enables Planned Parenthood Defunding

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that individual Medicaid recipients cannot sue states over decisions to exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid funding, supporting South Carolina's move to cut off reimbursements to the organization. This ruling allows states to defund Planned Parenthood for non-abortion medical services, such as cancer screenings and contraception, despite Planned Parenthood receiving over a third of its revenue from government grants and Medicaid reimbursements. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, who initiated the funding cut, argued that any funding to Planned Parenthood constitutes a taxpayer subsidy of abortion, which is banned in the state past six weeks of pregnancy. Planned Parenthood condemned the decision, warning it could deepen healthcare crises and lead to the closure of many clinics, especially in states where abortion remains legal. The case centered on whether Medicaid beneficiaries have a right to choose their healthcare providers and sue if that choice is restricted, with the court siding with states' authority to manage public resources. The ruling is viewed as a major victory for conservative efforts to defund Planned Parenthood nationwide.