Planned Parenthood facilities in Ohio have been affected by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4. While a federal lawsuit plays out when it comes to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act defunding the abortion provider for a year, Planned Parenthood continues to face troubles in the Buckeye State. Affiliates face termination of Ohio Medicaid provider agreements.
Axios had a scoop on Friday morning with regards to Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio facing such terminations.
“Late last month, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) sent letters to Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio (PPGOH) and Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region (PPSWO) informing that, beyond the reimbursement ban, they face termination of their Ohio Medicaid provider agreements,” Axios mentioned, also detailing how the affiliates “requested an administrative hearing to contest the decision” on Thursday.
Dr. Michael New, a senior associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, shared with The Daily Signal that “while the recently signed federal budget largely excludes Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds, Planned Parenthood still receives taxpayer dollars from state Medicaid programs.”
He also mentioned that “it is easy to see why Planned Parenthood’s Ohio affiliates are contesting this decision,” given that “Planned Parenthood is very dependent upon taxpayer funds.”
Ohio Right to Life meanwhile shared the Axios piece over on X as an “ALERT!!” The Daily Signal also reached out to the pro-life group for comment.
A statement from Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio President and CEO Nan Whaley focused on politics.
“We are disappointed but not surprised by this latest politically motivated attack on our ability to care for patients who rely on Medicaid. Anti-abortion politicians are once again using every tool at their disposal to block people from accessing essential, life-saving care at Planned Parenthood, indefinitely. This move is part of a broader, coordinated strategy to push reproductive health care out of reach,” Whaley said. “Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio has always complied with all applicable laws and regulations in providing high-quality care. There is no misconduct, no wrongdoing, only a political agenda trying to interfere with our patients’ ability to get the care they deserve.”
Whaley’s statement concluded by further denouncing the move.
“Let’s be clear: There is no legal basis for this action. This is about power and control, not patient health, or safety. We won’t back down, and we’ll fight for every person who counts on us,” she added.
New is singing a different tune, however.
“Planned Parenthood and their supporters will claim that Ohioans will lose access to health care. However, that is not the case. According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, Ohio has 201 federally qualified health centers in Ohio which accept Medicaid,” he added. “In contrast, there are only about 16 Planned Parenthood facilities in the state. Furthermore, these FQHCs are spread out throughout the state and serve rural areas. In contrast nearly every Planned Parenthood facility is based in a city or a college town.”
Although Ohio is an increasingly red state, voters in 2023 approved Issue 1, a ballot initiative enshrining a so-called right to abortion in the state constitution.
As for how Planned Parenthood is expected to do with Medicaid, New noted it “is unlikely that Planned Parenthood will prevail in Ohio,” pointing to the example of other states. “As a matter of public policy, state Medicaid programs have latitude in deciding which health care facilities they will reimburse. Furthermore, it is doubtful that any subsequent litigation on the part of Planned Parenthood would be successful,” he reminded.
The U.S. Supreme Court in Medina v. Planned Parenthood of the South Atlantic, as New brought up, found that South Carolina could exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program. “The same precedent would almost certainly apply to Ohio’s decision to exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program,” he added.
Although a controversial judge ruled against defunding Planned Parenthood, that provision was allowed to move forward in September. As Axios previewed, oral arguments for Planned Parenthood’s federal lawsuit on funding are scheduled for Nov. 12 in the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Defunding Planned Parenthood is a battle Congress has been grappling with for decades, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s provision has to be renewed or else expire. This termination notice isn’t quite affected in the same way. “Termination could mean further-reaching effects than the year ban, which would expire if not renewed by Congress in the next budget cycle,” Axios mentioned.
The abortion industry received further bad news from the Trump administration. As Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell covered exclusively on Friday, The Daily Signal has learned that the administration is “moving to roll back a Biden-era regulation that allows taxpayer dollars to pay for unaccompanied illegal alien children in the U.S. to travel to get abortions.”
