Congress Wants to Exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid. Here’s What’s at Stake.

For nearly fifty years, anti-abortion politicians have been trying to ban abortion outright—and when they fail, they target abortion providers in other ways to try to drive them out of business.

It’s a move straight from the anti-abortion playbook that we’ve seen over and over again, from laws that put medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion providers to South Carolina’s attempt to exclude abortion providers from its state Medicaid program.

Right now, Members of Congress are putting it into action to exclude Planned Parenthood from participating in Medicaid at all. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote this week on the so-called “big beautiful bill”—a federal government funding bill that has already passed the House and that could shut down a huge percentage of Planned Parenthood clinics.

Learn more about the attack on Planned Parenthood and the impacts it could have on Medicaid patients across the country.

Why is Planned Parenthood important?

Planned Parenthood clinics are often the go-to, trusted family planning providers for the area they serve. They provide contraception, STI testing and treatment, prenatal and postpartum checkups, and other reproductive health care.

Research shows that when these clinics close, they aren’t easily replaced by other health centers.

What happens if Planned Parenthood is excluded from Medicaid?

For Planned Parenthood patients that are covered by Medicaid, excluding Planned Parenthood from the Medicaid program would force them to pay for their basic health care out of pocket or seek out a new health care provider.

Additionally, their local clinic might be forced to close, since this legislation puts nearly 200 Planned Parenthood clinics at risk of closure nationwide.

As a result, this attack on Planned Parenthood would not only force patients to abandon their trusted health care provider—it could also limit or eliminate their access to care entirely. 

Not only are these anti-abortion politicians limiting where and from whom Medicaid patients can receive care, they are effectively picking the providers for them by narrowing their options to a limited pool of doctors. 

Why are lawmakers targeting Medicaid? 

Medicaid is the country’s largest public health insurance program, covering people with disabilities as well as adults, children, and elderly people with low incomes, including nearly half of all women of reproductive age.

It helps pay for things like birth control, cervical cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, prenatal and postpartum care, as well as other general reproductive health care.

Notably, the Hyde Amendment already prohibits federal funds, including Medicaid, from being used for abortion care, except in extremely limited, dire circumstances.

Planned Parenthood is a critical provider of reproductive health care for Medicaid patients, especially in rural areas and underserved communities. Over half of Planned Parenthood’s patients receive their health care through federally funded programs, like Medicaid, and would be at risk of losing access to care.

What exactly are politicians trying to do?

The so-called “one big beautiful bill” includes a provision that has one goal in mind—to attack Planned Parenthood nationwide.

The provision would effectively prevent Planned Parenthood from participating in Medicaid if they also provide abortions—even if those abortions are not paid for by Medicaid.

That means those providers won’t be able to get reimbursed for health care they provide to Medicaid patients, because they also serve patients who need abortion services.

This would be true even in states where abortion is already banned, because the bill specifically targets funding for any group in any state if they are associated with an entity who provides abortion care.

For example, abortion is banned in Texas, and Planned Parenthood does not provide abortion there—instead providing other necessary reproductive health care, like birth control, cervical cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and prenatal and postpartum checkups. But this would bar a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas from participating in Medicaid because they are an affiliate of Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion care in other states.

Congress is attempting to pass this spending legislation through what is called “reconciliation.” This process circumvents the requirement of a sixty-vote majority in the Senate, allowing the legislation to pass with a simple majority vote.

What does this have to do with abortion access? 

By cutting off Medicaid funds, anti-abortion politicians would force clinics to shut down or scale back services, making it harder for patients to access any and all reproductive care, not just abortion.

This is part of a long-term strategy: making it harder to get an abortion by eliminating the places where it’s provided. Even if abortion remains legal in a state, it becomes unavailable when no providers are left to provide that care.  

What’s at stake? 

This strategy doesn’t just hurt people seeking abortions, it harms millions of patients who depend on Planned Parenthood for their everyday health care. It deepens existing health inequities, especially for people in rural or underserved communities, communities of color, and those with lower incomes. 

This isn’t just about politics— it’s about people’s health, their freedom to choose their providers, and their ability to get care when and where they need it.

Contact Congress now and tell your representative to vote NO on Medicaid funding cuts and defunding Planned Parenthood.