Why a US judge blocked Trump’s push to cut Planned Parenthood funding

What is Planned Parenthood funding?

Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the US, but most of its clinics also provide birth control, cancer screenings, pregnancy tests, and STD treatment. Much of this care is paid for through Medicaid, a public health insurance programme for people on low incomes.

The ruling comes as part of a legal challenge to a provision in Trump’s recent tax law. That measure instructed the government to stop Medicaid funding for one year to any abortion provider that received more than $800,000 in reimbursements in 2023  a move that directly affected Planned Parenthood.

Why did the judge block cuts?

In her decision, Judge Talwani wrote: “Patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted or unavailable,” according to the Associated Press (AP).

“In particular, restricting Members’ ability to provide healthcare services threatens an increase in unintended pregnancies and attendant complications because of reduced access to effective contraceptives, and an increase in undiagnosed and untreated STIs,” she added.

Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest abortion provider, said the funding cut would have forced nearly 200 clinics in 24 states to shut down, leaving more than 1 million patients without services such as birth control, cancer screening, and STD testing.

“We’re suing the Trump administration over this targeted attack on Planned Parenthood health centres and the patients who rely on them for care,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood, quoted by the AP.

“This case is about making sure that patients who use Medicaid to get birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment can continue to do so at their local Planned Parenthood centre, and we will make that clear in court,” she said.

The US Department of Health did not comment immediately. However, its spokesperson had earlier said the department disagreed with any court order that allowed Medicaid funding to continue for clinics involved in political activity.

“States should not be forced to fund organisations that have chosen political advocacy over patient care,” said Andrew Nixon, the department’s communications director, in a statement reported by the AP.

He said this approach “undermines state flexibility” and raises “concerns about accountability”.