⚡️ TL;DR (too long, didn’t read)

The Supreme Court just dealt a devastating blow in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.

The ruling gives states a green light to kick providers like Planned Parenthood out of their Medicaid programs—putting cancer screenings, STI testing, birth control, and other essential care at risk for one million in South Carolina with potential nationwide implications.

The hardest hit will be those already facing systemic barriers: Black, Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQ+ communities, and people with low incomes.

The Court got this one wrong—badly. And we won’t let them have the last word. We’re mobilizing harder than ever to protect reproductive health care, providers, and our freedom to make our own decisions.

🤿 Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic: What’s This Supreme Court Case About? 

The background: In 2018, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster—an anti-abortion extremist—issued an executive order to kick Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT) out of the state’s Medicaid program.

A PPSAT patient, Julie Edwards, challenged the order—and lower federal courts have repeatedly ruled in her favor. That’s because prior to today, Medicaid patients had the right to see any qualified provider they choose, including Planned Parenthood. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed this three times.

But now, the Supreme Court just sided with extremists who weaponized anti-abortion sentiment to deprive vulnerable communities of basic health care.

SCOTUS refused to recognize Medicaid patients’ right to choose Planned Parenthood as their qualified health care provider.

⚠️ The Bottom Line

“Today, the Supreme Court once again sided with politicians who believe they know better than you, who want to block you from seeing your trusted health care provider and making your own health care decisions.”

—Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

This isn’t just about South Carolina. This opens the door for other states to block people with Medicaid coverage from going to health care providers for political reasons.

As Justice Jackson powerfully wrote in her dissent, this decision “will strip those South Carolinians — and countless other Medicaid recipients around the country — of a deeply personal freedom: the ‘ability to decide who treats us at our most vulnerable.’”

We couldn’t agree more. This decision means fewer places for people to get the care they need.

It means politicians deciding who you can and can’t see for basic health care, including birth control, cancer screenings, and more.

🔎 The Big Picture

This comes at a time when GOP-led Congress, Trump, and their anti-abortion extremist allies are escalating full-force attacks on reproductive freedom.

Right now, Congress is pushing a budget that aims to defund Planned Parenthood and slash Medicaid to offset tax cuts to billionaires.

This is Project 2025 in action. Anti-abortion extremists want a national abortion ban and they’re chipping away at our reproductive freedom across multiple fronts.

We’re not backing down. We’re mobilizing, organizing, and fighting to protect and expand reproductive freedom.

💡Resources for Care

No one should have to risk their life to get medical care. If you live in a state with an abortion ban, you’re not alone, and there are resources to help.