Two family planning organizations have filed a challenge with the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) in an effort to prevent them from being excluded from Medicaid participation.
Family Planning for the Greater Ohio Area and Family Planning for the Southwest Ohio Area have formally requested an administrative hearing to contest a state agency’s decision about participation in a federal health insurance program.
A press release from Friday indicated that ODM sent termination letters to both affiliates in late September. As a result, more than 27,000 individuals across Ohio could find themselves “without access to affordable care,” according to the statement.
Melissa Cohen, general counsel for both Planned Parenthood affiliates, expressed hope that the hearing would clarify that the federal funding ban is essentially a politically motivated attack on Planned Parenthood, rather than a legitimate reason for ODM’s decision.
The “Big and Beautiful” bill, a large spending and tax measure signed into law by Trump in July, includes a provision that prevents Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from receiving Medicaid reimbursement for at least a year.
Affiliates of family planning organizations took legal action against the bill’s provisions. A federal judge ruled in their favor, issuing a nationwide injunction in July to stop the Trump administration from cutting Medicaid funding to these groups.
However, a federal appeals court overturned that ruling in late September, allowing the Trump administration to proceed with its plans.
ODM’s move to eliminate the family planning system’s involvement in Medicaid could have repercussions beyond this year, extending beyond the alterations specified in the “Big and Beautiful” bill.
As indicated by a release from the Ohio Family Planning System affiliates, both organizations have had to shut down health centers in Cleveland, Hamilton, and Springfield due to federal budget cuts.
Similar to Ohio, several family planning affiliates nationwide are facing service reductions and health center closures. For example, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin announced a suspension of abortion services due to the implications of the “Big and Beautiful” bill. In July, multiple affiliates had informed patients that they would stop accepting Medicaid.
