Donald Trump’s desperation to implement ‘cruel law’ hits a major snag

The Trump administration and Planned Parenthood fight over Medicaid funding just took a big turn. A federal judge has ruled that Medicaid must keep paying Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide. This decision comes as the reproductive healthcare organization fights the White House’s attempts to cut its funding through a part of a large tax bill.

The new order from U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston goes further than an earlier temporary block. At first, the judge had only stopped the government from ending Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood locations that either did not perform abortions or got less than $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements per year. The new, wider order focuses on protecting patients’ health.

According to The Guardian, the judge said that cutting off care would likely cause serious harm. Specifically, limiting these clinics’ ability to provide healthcare could lead to more unplanned pregnancies and related problems because of less access to birth control. It could also leas to more cases of undiagnosed and untreated sexually transmitted infections.

Trump can’t just take away care from those who need it

Medicaid, the U.S. government’s health insurance program for low-income people, covers more than 80 million individuals. The Trump administration’s tax bill included a rule to stop Medicaid payments for one year to abortion providers that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023. Federal law already bans the use of Medicaid for most abortions. However, Planned Parenthood clinics, which serve a large number of Medicaid patients, depend on these funds for services like birth control, STI testing, and cancer screenings.

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s president and CEO, Alexis McGill Johnson, said, “We will keep fighting this cruel law so that everyone can get birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and other critical healthcare, no matter their insurance.”

Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit argued that losing all Medicaid money would put nearly 200 clinics in 24 states at risk of closing. If these clinics shut down, more than 1 million patients would be affected, possibly leading to a public health emergency. This is what Trump is trying to push.

The impact would be worse in states where more people rely on Medicaid. For example, one Planned Parenthood group in California has already had to close five clinics because of the funding cuts.

Even with this legal win, Planned Parenthood still faces major political and financial challenges. Even if it wins against the Trump administration in federal court, some states could still kick Planned Parenthood out of their Medicaid programs. This risk comes after a June decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that supported South Carolina’s effort to remove Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program.