Administration's attempt to financially discontinue Planned Parenthood hindered by court decision
In the ongoing legal battle between Planned Parenthood and the Trump administration, multiple courts have issued injunctions that block the enforcement of a Medicaid funding ban for several Planned Parenthood affiliates.
The dispute stems from a provision in the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Law that prohibits federal Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood clinics that provide abortion services and exceed $800,000 in Medicaid revenue. This provision effectively cuts off Medicaid funding to many Planned Parenthood affiliates, potentially affecting over a million patients.
Initially, a federal court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) allowing continued funding. However, upon the expiration of the TRO, a preliminary injunction was granted, blocking the enforcement of the funding ban for some Planned Parenthood members—specifically those that do not provide abortion services or do not meet the financial threshold.
The Trump administration is appealing this partial injunction to the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and the district court is still reviewing injunction requests for the remaining affected affiliates.
A coalition of 23 state attorneys general, led by Illinois AG Kwame Raoul and Massachusetts AG Andrea Campbell, has also filed lawsuits against the Trump administration. These states argue that the funding ban is unlawful, impermissibly ambiguous, and violates constitutional provisions including the Spending Clause, First Amendment, Equal Protection Clause, and prohibition on Bills of Attainder. They highlight the public health risks and increased costs resulting from the ban.
Recent filings have led courts to grant injunctions preventing the administration from cutting off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood in these jurisdictions.
Planned Parenthood's president and CEO, Alexis McGill Johnson, has announced the lawsuit against the Trump administration. The organisation argues that they would be at risk of closing nearly 200 clinics in 24 states if they are cut off from Medicaid funds.
Judge Indira Talwani, in her Monday order, wrote that patients may suffer adverse health consequences due to disrupted or unavailable care. The disruption of care, according to Judge Talwani, could lead to an increase in unintended pregnancies, associated complications due to reduced access to effective contraceptives, and an increase in undiagnosed and untreated sexually transmitted infections.
As of late July 2025, the legal battle remains active, with strong opposition from a coalition of states defending Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid access. The federal department of health did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.
- The ongoing legal dispute over Planned Parenthood's Medicaid funding, which stems from policy-and-legislation changes in the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Law, is deeply rooted in politics, with a coalition of state attorneys general led by Illinois AG Kwame Raoul and Massachusetts AG Andrea Campbell, filing lawsuits against the Trump administration.
- In the general news, recent filings have led courts to issue injunctions, preventing the Trump administration from cutting off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood in various jurisdictions, in order to avoid disruptions in healthcare services that could negatively impact over a million patients, potentially leading to increases in unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and associated complications.
