Fact Check: Supreme Court ruling denies Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood in South Carolina.

Fact Check: Supreme Court Ruling Denies Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood in South Carolina

What We Know

On June 26, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of South Carolina's decision to deny Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood for non-abortion services. This ruling allows states to exclude organizations from receiving Medicaid reimbursements for services such as cancer screenings and physical exams, based on state law provisions that permit disqualification for various reasons (NPR, Reuters). The court's decision was made with a 6-3 vote, largely along ideological lines, with Justice Neil Gorsuch stating that the law does not provide a clear right for individuals to sue to enforce the "any qualified provider" provision of Medicaid (NPR, New York Times).

The case arose after South Carolina's Governor Henry McMaster ordered the exclusion of Planned Parenthood from the state's Medicaid roster, arguing that taxpayers should not fund organizations that provide abortions, even if those services are not the focus of the funding (Washington Post, AP News). Lower courts had previously ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood, asserting that patients should have the right to choose their healthcare providers, including those who offer abortion services. However, the Supreme Court's ruling reversed these decisions, allowing South Carolina to maintain its ban (NPR, Reuters).

Analysis

The Supreme Court's ruling has significant implications for Medicaid funding and the rights of patients to choose their healthcare providers. The majority opinion, authored by Justice Gorsuch, emphasized that the Medicaid statute does not grant individuals the right to enforce provider choice through litigation. This interpretation raises concerns about the potential for states to restrict access to healthcare providers based on ideological grounds (NPR, New York Times).

Critics of the ruling, including dissenting Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, argued that it undermines civil rights by denying Medicaid recipients the ability to choose their doctors, effectively allowing states to evade their responsibilities under federal law (NPR, Washington Post). The dissent highlights a critical tension between state authority and federal protections for patients, suggesting that the ruling could set a precedent for similar actions in other states (Reuters, AP News).

The sources used in this analysis are credible and provide a comprehensive view of the ruling's context and implications. Major news outlets such as NPR, The New York Times, and Reuters have reported extensively on the case, ensuring a balanced representation of both the majority and dissenting opinions (NPR, New York Times, Reuters).

Conclusion

The claim that the Supreme Court ruling denies Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood in South Carolina is True. The court's decision allows South Carolina to bar Planned Parenthood from receiving federal Medicaid funding for non-abortion services, effectively limiting healthcare options for Medicaid recipients in the state. This ruling underscores the ongoing debate over healthcare access and the intersection of state and federal law regarding reproductive health services.

Fact Check: Supreme Court ruling denies Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood in South Carolina.