The US Supreme Court, in a landmark 6-3 decision delivered Thursday, ruled that states have the authority to remove Planned Parenthood and similar providers from Medicaid programs—even for non-abortion services like cancer screenings and birth control.
The ruling, which originated from South Carolina, solidifies the ability of Republican-led states to cut public funding to the nation’s largest abortion provider.
Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch stated that such enforcement decisions belong to elected representatives, not judges.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in a sharp dissent, warned that the decision “will strip…countless other Medicaid recipients… of a deeply personal freedom: the ‘ability to decide who treats us at our most vulnerable.’”
The decision is part of a broader push to defund Planned Parenthood nationwide.
According to CBN News, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster praised the ruling, emphasizing that taxpayer funds should not support abortion-affiliated providers.
Public health advocates warn the ruling could lead to closures of clinics in states where abortion remains legal—especially in rural communities where alternatives are scarce.
Some Medicaid recipients may now find it harder to sue if denied access to their preferred providers.
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