New York Attorney General Letitia James, has joined forces with a group of 16 other attorneys general to support Medicaid recipients' rights to choose their own healthcare providers. This coalition filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, taking a stand against South Carolina's exclusion of Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid provider list in 2018. A federal district court initially ruled the exclusion unlawful, a decision upheld by an appellate court in March 2024, and now the matter is in the hands of the Supreme Court.
In a recent statement obtained by the Office of the Attorney General of New York, James emphasized that "Medicaid recipients have the right to choose their own qualified medical providers, including those that offer critical reproductive health care services like Planned Parenthood." James also noted that restricting access to providers undermines the foundation of Medicaid, which is designed to ensure that vulnerable populations can access the healthcare they need.
The coalition argued that while states have significant discretion in managing Medicaid programs, there are essential safeguards in place, like the "free choice of provider" provision. This stipulation empowers individual patients to select their healthcare providers, not state governments. Planned Parenthood not only offers abortion care, which is not covered by Medicaid in South Carolina, but also provides mandatory covered services such as birth control, STI screenings, cancer screenings, and educational services. In 2023, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York delivered over 175,000 STI tests and more than 18,000 cancer screenings, showcasing its critical role in healthcare provision to historically underinsured groups.
Paige Johnson, interim CEO and president of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, didn't mince words on the issue, "Anti-abortion politicians are so intent on attacking Planned Parenthood health centers that they want to block people enrolled in Medicaid from getting essential health care like cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing and treatment, and more." Johnson told the Office of the Attorney General of New York, "Make no mistake: every person should be able to access health care from a provider they trust — no matter their income or insurance status." The attorneys general of California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawai’i, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and the District of Columbia, have all joined James in this legal move.
This legal battle is just the latest in a series of actions by Attorney General James to safeguard reproductive care access and freedom. Her office's previous efforts include filing an amicus brief in October 2024 to maintain access to emergency abortion care and supporting access to mifepristone. Additionally, in May 2024, James took legal action against an anti-abortion group and certain crisis pregnancy centers promoting unverified abortion reversal treatments. Amidst the legal tussles, the core message stands out: the fight for patients' rights to choose their preferred healthcare providers continues, with high stakes for Medicaid recipients and reproductive health services across the United States.
