07.16.25 (PRESS RELEASE) — Today, the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a case in federal court in Maine on behalf of Maine Family Planning (MFP), the largest network of reproductive health care clinics in the state of Maine. The so-called “big beautiful bill” that President Trump signed on July 4^th prevents MFP from accepting Medicaid funding, even though half of their patients rely on Medicaid. Many of these patients are in very rural areas with no other healthcare providers. The lawsuit argues that defunding MFP violates the federal Constitution’s Equal Protection guarantee and asks the Court to allow MFP to continue receiving Medicaid reimbursements for covered services, including appointments for birth control, STI testing, cancer screenings, routine OBGYN visits and primary care.

The case was filed against the United States Department of Health and Human Services, its Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and its Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. It asks for emergency relief so that MFP will not be forced to turn away patients who rely on Medicaid and cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket for health care.

“Congress and the Trump Administration have taken away patients’ freedom to choose their own trusted health care provider and have cut off access to care for thousands of Mainers. It’s wrong and counter to our values as Americans and Mainers. Every person should live with dignity and autonomy,” said George Hill, president and CEO of Maine Family Planning. “With this lawsuit, we are proud to fight for our patients and for all Mainers who deserve high quality, affordable health care.”  

“We are suing because this law will prevent thousands of Mainers from going to their trusted health care provider at Maine Family Planning, simply because they provide abortion care among many other services,” said Nancy Northup, President and CEO at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “Patients rely on these clinics for low-cost birth control, cancer screenings, and other critical reproductive health services. If these clinics lose half their patients and are forced to close, other providers will have to absorb those patients, and it will become harder for everyone in the state to get health care. It will create a domino effect that harms everyone, even those not on Medicaid. We are asking the court to restore funding so these clinics can stay open and continue to serve Mainers who can’t afford care elsewhere.”

The bill signed on July 4^th will wreak havoc on reproductive healthcare throughout the country by barring Planned Parenthood and Maine Family Planning from accepting Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortion services such as STI testing, cervical cancer screenings, and contraception. Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of low-income Americans, including children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Around 8,000 patients receive family planning and primary care at Maine Family Planning’s 18 clinics and mobile unit every year, and tens of thousands of additional patients receive care through MFP’s subcontracts at other clinics across the state. Many of MFP’s clinics provide care in very rural areas of the state where there are no other healthcare providers, and around 70% of their patients rely exclusively on MFP and will not see any other health care provider in a given year.

MFP has already stopped accepting new primary care patients enrolled in Medicaid and may be forced to close up to half of their clinics, cut services, or greatly reduce the number of patients it can see altogether if its ability to accept Medicaid is not restored, depriving all patients of their trusted health care provider regardless of their insurance status. MFP will not be able to continue absorbing bills for its MaineCare patients after October 2025, and looking ahead, up to nine clinics may be shuttered.

This is not the first time the Trump Administration has taken away federal funding from MFP in an attempt to shutter its clinics. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration announced it was freezing critical Title X family planning funds from dozens of grantees nationwide, including in Maine. Title X is the nation’s only dedicated family planning safety net program that has received bipartisan support for decades. The program serves millions of Americans each year, and by statute, the clinics awarded these funds must provide care for low-income and underserved communities. Now, the Trump Administration is withholding funding for essential health services explicitly because the clinics serve these populations.   

Independent providers around the country, like Maine Family Planning, serve a crucial role in making this health care available and affordable to women and families. 

This case was filed by Meetra Mehdizadeh and Astrid Ackerman with the Center for Reproductive Rights, Gideon Asen, and Selendy Gay on behalf of Maine Family Planning. 

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Center for Reproductive Rights: [email protected] 

Maine Family Planning: [email protected] (Kat Mavengere)