SC Planned Parenthood advocates react after SCOTUS rules states can cut off Medicaid funding

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — In a decision of six to three, the U.S. Supreme Court justices determined that states have the right to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

Thursday’s decision also held that patients and providers are no longer allowed to sue over Medicaid’s free of choice provider guarantee.

The case known as “Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic” originated in South Carolina after local Medicaid patient Julie Edwards filed a lawsuit over her right to seek birth control services through the clinic. According to the Associated Press, Edwards wanted to keep going there for birth control because her diabetes makes pregnancy potentially dangerous, so she sued over a provision in Medicaid law that allows patients to choose their own qualified provider.

This came after Governor Henry McMaster issued an executive order in 2018 deeming abortion providers as unqualified for Medicaid users.

Vicki Ringer with Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and other advocates held a press conference at the Statehouse on Thursday afternoon regarding the historic decision — one that’s likely to affect all other states across America.

“Meaning 1 million Medicaid patients in SC no longer have the free will to choose the provider of their choice,” says Ringer.

However, Governor Henry McMaster released the following statement via social media, saying:

“Seven years ago, we took a stand to protect the sanctity of life and defend South Carolina’s authority and values — and today we are finally victorious. The legality of my executive order prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood has been affirmed by the highest court in the land.”

Senator Lindsey Graham also praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision calling it “the right decision for the taxpayer and the pro-life movement” via a press release.

But Ringer says that Medicaid doesn’t cover abortions at Planned Parenthood, except under extreme cases of rape and incest. And even still, she says, there have been no cases in recent years for that either.

“The main reason they’ve done this is clearly political. They want to shut down Planned Parenthood and they want to have a backdoor ban for abortion,” she says.

Senator Tameika Isaac Devine says Planned Parenthood is mostly used for other healthcare services like contraception, cervical care, STI testing, and breast exams and cancer screenings.

“This really sends a chilling message. That poor people in SC do not have the same right to choose their medical provider as others do and that politics is more important than public health,” she says.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic finds that only about 3.5 percent of its patients use Medicaid as their primary source of medical care, and that clinics have received less than $100,000 in Medicaid reimbursements in recent years.

“The governor paid more than $100,000 for his private attorneys to represent him in his very first hearing, so this is what they call, literally, cutting off your nose to spite your face,” says Ringer.

Columbia and Charleston are the only two cities in South Carolina with a Planned Parenthood facility. However, Ringer says patients come from all 46 counties in South Carolina.

“This does not close us down, despite the governor’s best efforts,” she says.