The Supreme Court ruled to uphold South Carolina’s decision to strip Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood in a 6-3 decision on Thursday—clearing the path for other states to follow and defund the abortion giant.
A South Carolinian woman sued the state for removing Planned Parenthood from their medicaid program, sparking a Supreme Court lawsuit, Medina v. Planned Parenthood. In the majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch argued that while federal law allows Medicaid recipients to choose their preferred qualified provider, it does not give individuals the ability to challenge the state over who counts as “qualified.”
This ruling concludes an eight-year battle between South Carolina and Planned Parenthood.
In 2018, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster issued an executive order that prevented Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortion related services. McMaster argued that any funding helps them continue to deny preborn babies the Right to Life. He is correct: Planned Parenthood is an abortion provider at its core, killing 402,230 preborn babies annually.
In response to the ruling, Governor McMaster stated:
“Seven years ago, we took a stand to protect the sanctity of life and defend South Carolina’s authority and values – and today, we are finally victorious. The legality of my executive order prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood has been affirmed by the highest court in the land.”
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Paige Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said the ruling “…is a grave injustice that…promises to send South Carolina deeper into a health care crisis.” Johnson also stated that Governor McMaster intends to “…weaponize anti-abortion sentiment to deprive communities with low incomes of basic health care.”
Communities don’t need Planned Parenthood to access quality care, despite Johnson’s claims. While South Carolina has two Planned Parenthood locations, there are 140 Federally Qualified Health Centers and pregnancy resource centers, plus private healthcare centers that take Medicaid.
Nationwide, Planned Parenthood has nearly 600 facilities, while there are over 1,400 Federally Qualified Health Centers that serve Medicaid recipients. Rather than Planned Parenthood, more tax dollars should go toward these health centers, which do not perform or offer referrals for abortion.
While we celebrate victories that prevent tax dollars from funding abortion, the Pro-Life movement faces significant challenges ahead.
In Texas, Planned Parenthood operates as an “abortion referral facility”, sending women out of state to end the lives of their children. The organization continues to adapt their business model to cater to the abortion market and now employs more than 90 “Patient Navigators” across the country who help coordinate travel and financial assistance for women seeking abortions.
Mail-order abortions are also on the rise, reducing the use of traditional brick-and-mortar abortion clinics. Now, all a woman or girl needs to end the life of her preborn child is a cell phone and a mailing address. The abortion industry is rapidly abandoning its old model and embracing digital, chemical abortions—making it easier than ever to defy state laws and protections. This dangerous shift places more babies and women at risk and undermines the safeguards that Texas has fought to establish.
In 2023 alone, an estimated 19,000 abortion pills poured into Texas—killing vulnerable children and endangering women’s health. Governor Abbott must act immediately.
Texas cannot allow illegal mail-order abortions to continue unchecked. We urge the governor to prioritize the safety of Texas women and preborn children by calling lawmakers back to Austin to pass the Woman and Child Protection Act. Show your support—add your name now!
Until all abortion facilities are defunded, pill distributors are held accountable, and until abortion becomes unthinkable, we must continue to boldly advocate for Life through prayer, legislation, and tangible action.
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