An appeals court convened Wednesday to hear arguments on whether the federal government can restrict Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood under a section of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The law targets reproductive healthcare organizations that perform abortions, limiting their eligibility for Medicaid reimbursements.
Driving the news: : A lower court in Massachusetts ruled in July that this provision unlawfully targeted Planned Parenthood and violated its constitutional rights, including First Amendment protections. The court noted not all Planned Parenthood member organizations provide elective abortions.
- Planned Parenthood argued that the bill is the “culmination of a decade-long effort to unlawfully target and punish” it and described the act as a bill of attainder that punishes the group without a trial.
What they’re saying: The organization warned the bill “devastates” vulnerable Americans’ access to “lifesaving” healthcare beyond abortion, citing services such as cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and birth control. They stated, “Planned Parenthood Members have scaled back services, laid off staff, and closed clinics – impacting not only Medicaid patients but also others who depend on these centers for care.”
- Planned Parenthood urged the appellate court to uphold the district court’s decision, emphasizing that “the government will not be harmed by reimbursing Planned Parenthood.”
Go deeper: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, defendants in the lawsuit, described Planned Parenthood’s constitutional claims as meritless and unprecedented.
- They argued there is no evidence the bill is a bill of attainder and defended the law, saying, “In any event, the enactment of Section 71113 reflects a determination by our elected representatives that the benefits of the statute outweigh any adverse impact on access to care.”
- The officials added, “It would be a special kind of judicial hubris to declare that the public interest has been undermined by the public.”
