Planned Parenthood Files Legal Challenge To Protect Medicaid Funding In South Carolina

A caller ineligible situation from Planned Parenthood seeks to sphere Medicaid payments for its wellness centers successful South Carolina aft a Supreme Court determination put nan national backing successful jeopardy.

On Thursday, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic revenge an amended title successful national court challenging nan constitutionality of executive orders from Republican Gov. Henry McMaster that artifact Medicaid reimbursements for organizations providing abortions, moreover though the funds are utilized to supply different aesculapian care. The South Carolina clinics supply services specified arsenic contraception, crab screenings, yearly exams and testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

“This lawsuit is astir Planned Parenthood’s proviso of basal wellness attraction services, other than abortion, to its patients successful South Carolina,” nan title states, noting that terminating nan supplier from Medicaid “will person a devastating effect connected its expertise to supply a wide scope of non-abortion wellness care.”

The state’s action is particularly harmful because galore counties deficiency OB-GYN providers, nan title states, and immoderate providers are reluctant to judge Medicaid owed to its debased reimbursement rates.

“Our authorities should beryllium expanding Medicaid providers, recruiting Medicaid providers alternatively of kicking them out,” said Vicki Ringer, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which serves South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

The South Carolina General Assembly has sought to defund Planned Parenthood.traveler1116 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

A Medicaid diligent successful South Carolina sued successful nan aftermath of McMaster's 2018 executive bid successful a lawsuit that reached nan Supreme Court. In June, justices ruled that Medicaid recipients could not writer to guarantee a circumstantial provider, supporting nan state’s push to artifact Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding.

This caller conflict comes arsenic nan nationalist statement is besides trying to fend disconnected a caller national law that would prohibition Planned Parenthood clinics from billing Medicaid for diligent care. A national judge has temporarily blocked that proviso from going into effect.

But that bid did not use to state-level actions specified arsenic those successful South Carolina. Three different states — Missouri, Texas and Arkansas — person already succeeded successful barring Medicaid backing from nan group, according to Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic revenge nan title against Eunice Medina, head of nan South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, which administers nan state’s Medicaid program.

The supplier is asking nan tribunal to find McMaster’s executive orders unconstitutional on pinch authorities appropriation bills that azygous retired nan organization. Attorneys are besides asking nan tribunal to let Planned Parenthood to support receiving Medicaid payments arsenic nan lawsuit proceeds.

Neither Medina nor McMaster could instantly beryllium reached for comment.

McMaster antecedently praised nan Supreme Court’s ruling, saying his management “took a guidelines to protect nan sanctity of life and take sides South Carolina’s authority and values.”

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed executive orders that artifact Medicaid reimbursements for organizations providing abortions.Liesa Johannssen / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

Planned Parenthood has 2 clinics successful nan state, successful Charleston and Columbia. Although they supply abortions successful South Carolina, pinch uncommon objection Medicaid costs can’t legally beryllium utilized for nan procedure, which is only ineligible successful nan authorities successful nan first six weeks of pregnancy, successful definite aesculapian emergencies and in cases of rape and incest.

Last year, nan statement said its South Carolina clinics saw almost 400 Medicaid patients, providing a scope of wellness attraction services. The title warns that Medicaid patients whitethorn forgo attraction if Planned Parenthood is forced to move distant patients successful a authorities that already struggles pinch dismal wellness outcomes, including a precocious maternal mortality rate.

“For women successful South Carolina, nationalist wellness attraction is simply a matter of life aliases death,” nan filing states.

Apart from nan harm to patients, advocates argue, allowing costs to beryllium restricted for providers based connected their support for abortion authorities opens nan doorway for politicians to trim disconnected backing based connected different services a supplier mightiness offer, specified arsenic gender-affirming care.

“We each merit nan dignity of being capable to prime our doctor,” Ringer said, “and not beryllium denied nan prime of a expert for a governmental agenda.”