The US Supreme Court has passed a ruling that will effectively allow South Carolina to block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood on the grounds that it provides abortions. The decision could significantly hinder access to essential healthcare services for low-income Americans, particularly women, people of colour and those in the LGBTQ+ community.

The judgment, handed down on Thursday, June 27, does not directly deal with whether South Carolina can cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. Instead, it weighs in on a technical question of whether Medicaid beneficiaries can sue a state if their right of “free choice of provider” has been violated. The court has ruled that people do not have a right to sue if they believe a state is violating Medicaid.

This effectively paves the way for other states to also cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, as people won’t be able to sue. The case, brought forward by Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented South Carolina, is part of broader efforts by anti-abortion activists to “defund” Planned Parenthood.

While federal law already bars the use of Medicaid funds to pay for abortions in most cases, Planned Parenthood has long argued that it remains a crucial provider for other forms of healthcare, especially in underserved communities.

The decision made by the US Supreme Court was split along the expected ideological lines, with the Court’s six conservative justices in the majority and the three liberal justices behind.

Human Rights Campaign President Kelly Robinson strongly criticised the decision, calling it “especially alarming for LGBTQ+ people, women and people of color – communities who already face healthcare discrimination and heightened barriers to income equality.” She linked the ruling to broader efforts under Trump to roll back healthcare access and reproductive rights.

 

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As pressure mounts on clinics like Planned Parenthood, supporters are being called upon to help safeguard access to care. Until midnight on June 30, all donations to Planned Parenthood will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to a total of $500,000. You can donate at this link.

With reproductive healthcare under renewed attack, the Supreme Court Medicaid ruling could mark a turning point in the ongoing fight for bodily autonomy and equitable access to health services in the United States, especially for those most at risk.

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