Supreme Court Rules States Can Stop Funding Planned Parenthood

In a landmark 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states have the authority to exclude Planned Parenthood from their Medicaid programs. This decision, handed down on June 26, 2025, marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing national debate over taxpayer funding for organizations that provide abortion services.

What the Ruling Means

The case, Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, centered on whether individual Medicaid recipients have the right to sue when a state removes a provider—like Planned Parenthood—from its Medicaid program. The Court ruled that Medicaid law does not grant patients the legal standing to challenge such decisions in court.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, emphasized that decisions about Medicaid provider qualifications are best left to elected officials, not the judiciary. “Deciding whether to permit private enforcement poses delicate policy questions involving competing costs and benefits,” he wrote.

Background: South Carolina’s Push to Defund

The case originated in South Carolina, where Governor Henry McMaster issued an executive order in 2018 to remove Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid provider list. Although federal law already prohibits Medicaid funds from being used for abortions (except in limited cases), the state argued that any funding to Planned Parenthood indirectly supports abortion services by freeing up other resources.

Planned Parenthood challenged the order, citing a provision in Medicaid law that allows patients to choose their own qualified provider. The Supreme Court’s ruling now blocks such lawsuits, effectively greenlighting similar actions by other states.

Implications for Medicaid Patients

While the ruling does not ban Planned Parenthood from operating, it allows states to deny Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortion services such as cancer screenings, contraception, and STI testing. Critics argue this could disproportionately affect low-income individuals, especially in rural areas where alternative providers are scarce.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in a dissent joined by the Court’s two other liberal justices, warned that the decision would “strip countless Medicaid recipients… of a deeply personal freedom: the ability to decide who treats us at our most vulnerable”.

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Broader Political Context

This decision aligns with a broader Republican-led effort to defund Planned Parenthood at both state and federal levels. A budget proposal backed by President Donald Trump also seeks to eliminate Medicaid funding for the organization nationwide, which could force the closure of up to 200 clinics across the U.S.

Pro-life advocates hailed the ruling as a victory for states’ rights and taxpayer accountability. “Taxpayer dollars should never be used to fund abortion or subsidize practices that kill children and harm women,” said Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel, which filed an amicus brief in the case.

What’s Next?

With this ruling, states now have a clear legal path to exclude abortion providers from Medicaid programs, even for non-abortion services. Legal experts expect more conservative states to follow South Carolina’s lead, potentially reshaping access to reproductive healthcare for millions of Americans.

Planned Parenthood has vowed to continue providing care, but acknowledged that the loss of Medicaid funding could force reductions in services or clinic hours in affected states.