After the dozen or more sting videos of internal Planned Parenthood operations revealed in 2015 that the organization was engaged in the sale of fetal body parts, among other heinous financial transactions, states around the union reacted swiftly.
Among them was Arkansas wherein then-Governor Asa Hutchinson promptly terminated the state’s contract with Planned Parenthood for health services.
Planned Parenthood responded by suing the state arguing that the state cannot prohibit women from seeking medical care from a Medicaid provider.
In other words, the state is compelled to offer ‘health services’ via Medicaid, even if those services include abortion.
A federal judge agreed and issued an injunction on the governor’s order.
But on appeal, the 8th Circuit Court overturned the injunction remanding the decision back to the lower court.
Similar cases have come before the 7th and 5th Circuit Courts, which almost guarantees a fight in the Supreme Court.
Should Justice Kennedy retire soon, Trump’s replacement could ultimately decide Planned Parenthood’s fate in the states.
Here’s more from Daily Signal…
This week, a federal appeals court upheld Arkansas’ decision to cancel its Medicaid provider agreement with Planned Parenthood, which allowed Medicaid recipients to receive non-abortion services at Planned Parenthood clinics.
This is good news for other states that decide to stop allowing taxpayers’ money to flow to Planned Parenthood.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced in August 2015 that the state would terminate its contract following the release of videos that raised disturbing allegations of Planned Parenthood profiting from the sale of organs from aborted babies’ body parts.
The state Department of Human Services informed Planned Parenthood it would cancel its contract within 30 days and that Planned Parenthood had a right to an administrative appeal under state law.
Instead, Planned Parenthood rounded up a group of patients (known as the “Jane Does”) to file suit in federal court.
In their lawsuit, the Jane Does argue that, under the Medicaid Act’s “free choice of provider” provision, the state cannot prohibit them from obtaining medical care from the qualified provider of their choice—unless that provider is unfit to provide medical services.
