Ohio Plans Medicaid Termination of Planned Parenthood Affecting 27,000 Patients

Planned Parenthood affiliates in Ohio are challenging the state's decision to terminate their Medicaid participation following a federal budget reconciliation act signed by President Donald Trump, which bans Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood for one year. The Ohio Department of Medicaid sent termination letters citing this federal legislation, which affects over 27,000 Ohioans who rely on Planned Parenthood for reproductive and sexual health services excluding abortion, which Medicaid already does not cover. Planned Parenthood argues the termination is a politically motivated action without legal grounds, and they have officially requested administrative hearings to contest the decision. The national Planned Parenthood Federation of America is also pursuing lawsuits to block the federal cuts, with mixed court rulings so far. State officials have not commented publicly on the matter, but the termination could extend beyond the federal funding ban, potentially cutting off Medicaid funding indefinitely. The dispute highlights the ongoing tension between state and federal policies on reproductive health funding and the political battle over Medicaid's role in supporting Planned Parenthood.