INDIANAPOLIS – Thousands of low-income Planned Parenthood of Indiana patients were left fending for themselves Tuesday to pay for birth control, breast exams, Pap tests and other medical services while a court battle continued over a new state law that eliminated the organization's Medicaid funding.
Planned Parenthood began turning away Medicaid patients who couldn't pay for its medical services Tuesday, one day after private donations that had paid those patients' bills ran out.
A state law that took effect May 10 denied Planned Parenthood the Medicaid funds it uses to pay for general health services it provides to low-income women at its 28 Indiana clinics. The group is seeking a preliminary injunction to block Indiana's law, and a ruling is expected by July 1.
As Planned Parenthood awaits that ruling, the group said about 9,300 Medicaid patients — both women and men enrolled in the state-federal health insurance program for low-income and disabled people — are now facing "disrupted" medical services under the state's law.

Neal Anderth wrote:If this cut was part of a comprehensive strategy that made a major difference in the national deficit, I could chalk it up to necessity. But this just reeks of counterproductive Republican social policy.

Planned parenthood provides basic preventative women's healthcare. If these women are on Medicaid it just means you'll pay more later for healthcare costs that could have been mitigated. They were already barred from using federal funds on abortion.

INDIANAPOLIS – Thousands of low-income Planned Parenthood of Indiana patients were left fending for themselves Tuesday to pay for birth control, breast exams, Pap tests and other medical services while a court battle continued over a new state law that eliminated the organization's Medicaid funding.
Planned Parenthood began turning away Medicaid patients who couldn't pay for its medical services Tuesday, one day after private donations that had paid those patients' bills ran out.
A state law that took effect May 10 denied Planned Parenthood the Medicaid funds it uses to pay for general health services it provides to low-income women at its 28 Indiana clinics. The group is seeking a preliminary injunction to block Indiana's law, and a ruling is expected by July 1.
As Planned Parenthood awaits that ruling, the group said about 9,300 Medicaid patients — both women and men enrolled in the state-federal health insurance program for low-income and disabled people — are now facing "disrupted" medical services under the state's law.

If Pratt does not rule in Planned Parenthood's favor by July 1, the organization plans to begin closing health centers and reducing staff. All but one of its 28 statewide clinics will be closed Wednesday — and most employees will be on a one-day unpaid furlough as a cost-saving step.

"The one-day furlough should allow us to save enough money to keep our doors open during this brief window between now and the expected ruling by July 1," Betty Cockrum, Planned Parenthood of Indiana president and CEO, said Monday in a statement.

Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Kate Shepherd said the group's Indiana clinics have about 85,000 patients.

She said the group's 9,300 Medicaid patients who've lost their funding might be able to tap into Planned Parenthood's Women's Health Fund to pay for health services, if funds are available at the particular clinics they visit. Shepherd said they also can seek funding through three other federal family planning programs.

She declined to speculate Tuesday on how quickly Medicaid funding might be restored if Pratt sides with Planned Parenthood, or discuss whether that funding could remain held up if the state decides to appeal such a ruling.

Doctor Fate wrote:The question is whether a State has the right to determine how its money is spent or not. It's Medicaid.