Planned Parenthood Withdraws Lawsuit Against Trump Administration’s Medicaid Funding Cuts

Planned Parenthood Withdraws Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration’s Medicaid Funding Cuts

Planned Parenthood has voluntarily dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration over provisions in a spending bill that cut off Medicaid funding to abortion providers. The organization announced the decision Friday in a filing with the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts.

The lawsuit, filed in July, challenged a section of President Donald Trump’s tax legislation that prohibited federal funding from going to abortion providers. Planned Parenthood argued the provision unfairly targeted their clinics and would reduce healthcare options for patients who rely on their services.

“The goal of this lawsuit has always been to help Planned Parenthood patients get the care they deserve from their trusted provider. Based on the 1st Circuit’s decision, it is clear that this lawsuit is no longer the best way to accomplish that goal,” said a joint statement from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah.

The withdrawal comes after a federal appeals court ruled in December that the administration could continue withholding Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. A separate lawsuit filed by several predominantly Democratic states faced a similar setback in January but remains active, while a related case in Maine was voluntarily dismissed in October.

The provision in question targets providers that primarily offer certain services, including abortion, and received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023. Although Planned Parenthood was not specifically named in the legislation, the organization’s leadership has maintained that the law was designed to impact their operations nationwide.

Federal law already prohibits taxpayer money from covering most abortions, but Republican lawmakers have long argued that abortion providers use Medicaid money for other health services to indirectly support abortion services.

The funding restrictions have had significant consequences for Planned Parenthood’s nationwide network. The organization reports that 23 of their health clinics have been forced to close as a direct result of Trump’s spending bill. This adds to the more than 50 clinics that closed in 18 states last year, with the majority located in the Midwest.

These closures represent a continuation of efforts by Republican lawmakers at both federal and state levels to restrict funding for Planned Parenthood, part of a broader strategy to limit access to abortion services across the country. Such policies have particular impact in rural and low-income areas where Planned Parenthood clinics often provide a range of healthcare services beyond abortion.

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, criticized the administration’s approach in a statement: “President Trump and his allies in Congress have weaponized the federal government to target Planned Parenthood at the expense of patients — stripping people of the care they rely on.”

She emphasized that despite the legal setback, the organization remains committed to its mission. “Through every attack, Planned Parenthood has never lost sight of its focus: ensuring patients can get the care they need from the provider they trust,” Johnson said. “That will never change. Care continues, as does our commitment to fighting for everyone’s freedom to make their own decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures.”

The legal battle highlights the ongoing tension between reproductive rights advocates and those seeking to limit abortion access. While this particular lawsuit has ended, the broader conflict over federal funding for organizations that provide abortion services continues through other legal challenges and legislative efforts across the country.

As Planned Parenthood adjusts its strategy in response to this legal development, the organization faces the challenge of maintaining services for patients while navigating an increasingly restrictive funding environment.