As Indiana’s Planned Parenthood waits for a ruling on the injunction the organization filed against the state, the chain of health clinics is being forced to temporarily close down some of its centers and stop seeing Medicaid patients.
The Indianapolis Star is reporting: ”Planned Parenthood plans to stop seeing Medicaid patients, lay off two sexually transmitted disease prevention specialists, and close each of its health centers for one day this week, after the donations it had been using to replace state Medicaid funding run out today.”
Planned Parenthood in Indiana has been relying on donations to serve its 9,300 Medicaid patients since state officials cut off their state and federal Medicaid funding because the organization provides abortion services. Even though by law, public dollars are not allowed to fund abortions in the state, officials have still sought to defund the clinics.
The Star reports that Planned Parenthood “typically receives about $1.3 million a year in Medicaid funds, which is about 10 percent of its total budget. The law would also strip the health provider of roughly $150,000 in sexually transmitted disease prevention funding.”
Planned Parenthood also told the publication that these temporary shutdowns could be avoided if the judge ruling on the injunction filed by the organization against the state would suspend enforcement of the law. The judge is not expected to rule on the injunction for another week.
Both the U.S. Justice Department and The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have stood by Planned Parenthood. The federal agencies have notified Indiana officials that removing Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid funding violates federal law.
