Supreme Court Rules Whether States Can Block Planned Parenthood From Receiving Medicaid Funding

The Supreme Court ruled against Planned Parenthood Thursday, handing a significant win to the pro-life movement.  

In the case Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, the justices ruled, 6-3, that South Carolina can legally block Planned Parenthood facilities from receiving Medicaid funding.  

In 2018, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, signed an executive action directing the state’s Department of Health and Human Services to remove Planned Parenthood from South Carolina’s Medicaid provider list.  

The Republican governor argued that any funding to Planned Parenthood, even if not directly used for abortions, indirectly funds abortions and undermines the state’s commitment to protect the unborn.  

“This case is about protecting the sanctity of life and preserving South Carolina’s right to govern itself in a way that reflects the values of its people,” McMaster said in a statement in February.  

“South Carolina has made it clear that we value the right to life,” McMaster continued. “Therefore, taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize abortion providers who are in direct opposition to their beliefs. Just as I was in 2018, I am confident in our authority to terminate funding for Planned Parenthood, and I trust that the U.S. Supreme Court will agree.” 

There are two Planned Parenthood clinics in South Carolina, one in Columbia and another in Charleston. 

“South Carolina is facing an ever-worsening reproductive health care crisis,” Vicki Ringer, South Carolina director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said in a statement in February.  

“In just under two years, we’ve already heard countless stories of distress, bodily harm, persecution, and even death, from patients whose care was delayed or denied due to these bans,” Ringer said. “If anti-abortion lawmakers are allowed to act unchecked, they will revoke our access to this care altogether—with no exceptions. We must continue to take them to task—in the legislature, in the courts, and in our communities.” 

Alliance Defending Freedom, a large Christian legal organization, represented South Carolina in the case and argued before the Supreme Court in April that states have a right to determine which entities in that state receive Medicaid funds. 

The lawyer representing Planned Parenthood argued that patients should be allowed to sue when their chosen health care provider is denied to them.  

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