Planned Parenthood clinics in Indiana are turning away patients who are covered by Medicaid. A new state law in Indiana has prevented Planned Parenthood from receiving funding from Medicaid. This leaves low-income people who were relying on the clinics without health care options.
On May 1, 2011, a state law took effect in Indiana. From that day on, the law denies Planned Parenthood access to funding from Medicaid. Previous to this law taking effect, the clinics were using Medicaid funds to pay for general health services to low-income women. This was happening at 28 of the Planned Parenthoods in Indiana.
When the Medicaid funding was gone, the clinics were using private donations in order to continue to help patients who were using Medicaid as their only source of health insurance, and who could not afford to pay their medical bills out of pocket. Now, the donations have run out, which is causing Planned Parenthood to have no choice except to turn away Medicaid patients.
Planned Parenthood is a place where people who have low income, or who have no health insurance, can go in order to get their medical and health needs taken care of. The clinic offers breast exams, Pap tests, birth control options, and more. Previous to this state law, Planned Parenthood in Indiana was seeing around 9,300 Medicaid patients. The group was made up of both women and men. Now, those patients are facing a disruption in their medical care.
Planned Parenthood sued the State of Indiana on May 10, 2011, saying that the defunding law is unconstitutional and that it violates federal law. The Obama administration has also stated that the Indiana law violates federal law. The Justice Department has filed a brief that supports the request by Planned Parenthood for an injunction.
On the other side of the issue, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller says that the State will appeal the Obama administration’s ruling on this law. He has also called the Justice Department filing “inappropriate”. U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt seems to be the one who will rule on this case, and she has given the state of Indiana a few days to respond to the request.
If Judge Pratt does not rule in Planned Parenthood’s favor by July 1, 2011, then the organization is going to have to close health centers and will also have to reduce some of their staff. They are already planning on closing all except one of their clinics on Wednesday, June 22, 2011. Most of their employees will have a one-day unpaid furlough on that day, in an attempt to save costs.
Image by brains the head on Flickr