In a Key 6–3 decision, SCOTUS Affirms States’ Authority to Withhold Medicaid Funds from Abortion Providers
In a major win for pro-life advocates, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 today in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic that South Carolina has the right to withhold Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood.
The decision upholds Governor Henry McMaster’s 2018 executive order that barred Medicaid dollars from going to abortion providers. The Court found that the federal Medicaid Act does not create an “unambiguous” right for individuals to choose any qualified provider, thereby affirming a state’s discretion in defining what constitutes a “qualified” provider.
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The legal battle began when Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and one of its Medicaid clients sued the state, arguing that South Carolina’s defunding move violated the Medicaid Act’s “any qualified provider” clause. But the majority opinion from the High Court sided with the state, stating that the clause does not override a state’s authority to establish its own criteria for provider qualification.
Liberty Counsel, a religious liberty law firm, filed an amicus brief in support of South Carolina, pointing to Planned Parenthood’s controversial practices. The brief cited undercover investigations that alleged illegal trafficking of fetal body parts by Planned Parenthood officials, describing it as a “shadowy proliferation” of fetal tissue profiteering. Liberty Counsel argued that such practices gave South Carolina a compelling reason to deem the organization unqualified for Medicaid participation.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has rightfully ruled that states can defund abortion,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “It makes no sense to require states to fund an organization that kills children. Congress did not create a right for individuals to have states pay for their abortions.”
Today’s ruling could have broader implications as other states may now move forward with similar efforts to redirect Medicaid funding away from abortion providers. For pro-life leaders, it marks a crucial step in the ongoing effort to end public funding for organizations that perform abortions.
