Administration Issues Guidelines Affirming Planned Parenthood’s Status as a Medicaid Provider

Washington, D.C. – The Administration today issued formal written guidance to states that makes it clear that recent actions to block Planned Parenthood’s ability to participate in Medicaid is a clear violation of federal law. Families USA requested this clarification after several governors and state legislatures had tried to remove Planned Parenthood as a recognized Medicaid service provider. Following is the statement of Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack on the new guidance:

“Politics should not govern access to health care for low-income people. More than half of the two and a half million people served by Planned Parenthood are enrolled in Medicaid, and the Administration took the right steps to protect these patients from state efforts to deprive them of their right to quality health care.

“Many Planned Parenthood health centers are in rural or medically underserved areas where lower-income consumers often struggle to find an accessible health care provider they can afford. In these areas of the country, Planned Parenthood is an essential, safety-net provider providing timely access to necessary health care. State efforts to block Planned Parenthood’s participation in Medicaid presented a very serious threat to the health of millions of these low-income women and their families who depend on that program for their health care.”