Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio can no longer accept Medicaid as payment starting Sept. 15 \u2212 the result of President Donald Trump’s policies and a recent federal appeals court decision.<\/p>\n
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio says the First Circuit Court of Appeals’ Sept. 11 decision<\/a> will cut off birth control, sexually transmitted infections testing and other health care for 22,000 patients across Ohio. State and federal law already prohibit Medicaid from paying for abortion, except in rare circumstances such as medical emergencies.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cPlanned Parenthood has always been committed to providing health care regardless of a patient\u2019s financial circumstances. This loss of Medicaid funding will severely deepen the strain on our ability to serve patients with lower incomes,” said Erica Wilson-Domer, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio said in a statement.<\/p>\n Trump’s signature “Big, Beautiful Bill”<\/a> blocked Planned Parenthood from billing Medicaid for contraception, sexually transmitted infection testing, gender-affirming care and preventative care visits.\u00a0<\/p>\n A federal judge had temporarily blocked that funding cut<\/a>\u00a0and ruled it is likely unconstitutional. But an appeals court reversed that decision<\/a> while the legal arguments play out, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio has 12 health centers and two surgical centers across Columbus, Toledo, northwest Ohio and Athens. Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio, which serves Cincinnati and Dayton, stopped accepting Medicaid as payment in July after the spending bill took effect.<\/p>\n Ohio GOP lawmakers introduced legislation <\/a>that would mimic the federal effort to defund Planned Parenthood. Ohio Right to Life also penned a letter to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, asking him to eliminate all Medicaid funding for the organization, which provides abortions at some locations.<\/p>\n \u201cTaxpayer dollars should never be used, directly or indirectly, to facilitate the destruction of human life,\u201d wrote Carrie Snyder, executive director of Ohio Right to Life, in the letter co-signed by 25 organizations that oppose abortion.<\/a><\/p>\n