The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement.
Planned Parenthood facilities in Ohio have notified the Ohio Department of Medicaid they will fight against the state’s proposal to take away funding that comes from that department.
Clinics across Ohio are already strapped for funding with a federal budget reconciliation bill that took away Medicaid and other funding, but now the state is trying to end their connection as well.
The state Medicaid department cited the federal budget reconciliation law, signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, as reasoning for the termination, in a Sept. 24 letter received by Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region and Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio.
“The provisions of the federally mandated 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act prohibit certain nonprofit health care providers from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursement for services,” said Stephanie O’Grady, spokesperson for the ODM, in a statement to the Capital Journal.
“We are complying with the law set forth by Congress and will continue to work with other qualified Medicaid providers across the state to ensure that members have access to essential services.”
Planned Parenthood clinics have used the Medicaid funds to provide services like preventive care, STD screenings, and other general practice health services.
Federal and state Medicaid funds already can’t be used for abortion services, and clinics around the state have said they have never used the funds for those services.
But termination from the state’s Medicaid program will impact non-abortion services for more than 27,000 patients who went to Planned Parenthoods in Southwest Ohio and the Greater Ohio affiliate’s regions.
Patients without eligible private insurance will have to pay out of pocket or find another provider if the termination goes forward.
The termination notification comes alongside federal funding cuts by the Trump administration, which the national Planned Parenthood headquarters is fighting through a lawsuit.
Typically, removal from the Ohio Department of Medicaid programs comes for a particular reason, such as conviction of a crime or behavior that goes against the regulations of Medicaid, according to Melissa Cohen, general counsel for the Planned Parenthoods of Greater Ohio and Southwest Ohio Region.
“We’re not in that boat, Planned Parenthood has followed all laws and regulations,” Cohen told the Capital Journal.
“This is really an unprecedented situation for a provider to be terminated in this way.”
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That’s why the clinics have started the process of requesting an administrative hearing with the department, asking for justification for the termination, and confirmation that no official misconduct has been noted in the termination proposal, according to Cohen.
The state action has “more problematic effects,” Cohen said, given that Planned Parenthood affiliates see this as a “political attack” and not one related to the care they provide.
“This back and forth (on funding) is really confusing for patients and stressful for patients,” Cohen said.
The confusion may continue, even though the termination would be put on hold as the proceedings for an administrative hearing are organized.
Cohen said while the process of administrative review goes on, things will stay as they are for Planned Parenthoods in the state.
After an administrative decision is made, parties have the ability to appeal to a state court if they disagree with the decision as well, holding off any further action until that process is undertaken.
Meanwhile the federal case through which the national Planned Parenthood Federation of America hopes to claw back funds eliminated as a part of the budget process is still ongoing as well.
An injunction that paused the funding cuts was undone by a federal judge, and the next court date is scheduled for Nov. 12.
It still could be quite some time before a final decision is released, especially if appeals are made to the U.S. Supreme Court should the decision go against the wishes of the Trump administration.
With the loss of federal funds continuing as the court case rolls on, Cohen said Ohio clinics have already seen patient numbers drop.
Patient navigators and social workers working with Ohio’s Planned Parenthoods are informing patients of the available services and referring patients to other providers for unavailable care.
The Southwest Ohio region’s Planned Parenthood closed two clinics earlier this year, citing the federal funding cuts as a catalyst for the decision.
Cohen said a timeline for the administrative hearing is unknown at this point.
