After a yearlong funding squeeze that pushed some Ohio clinics to stop billing Medicaid altogether, Planned Parenthood affiliates across the state are getting ready to turn the tap back on.
Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio says it will begin accepting Medicaid again on July 3, while Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio expects the return of payments to restore care for roughly 22,000 patients across central and northern Ohio. The pause traced back to a one-year federal restriction that limited Medicaid reimbursements to certain nonprofit reproductive health providers. Medicaid coverage for abortion care remains mostly off the table, with only narrow federal exceptions in place.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region CEO Nan Whaley said the affiliate will resume taking Medicaid payments on July 3 for preventive services such as contraception, STI testing, and cancer screenings. The paper also quoted Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio CEO Erica Wilson-Domer, who said her affiliate plans to start billing again once the federal restriction officially expires.
Why the Money Stopped and What Changes in July
The funding pause grew out of Section 71113 of the 2025 federal budget reconciliation law. That provision blocked federal Medicaid reimbursements for one year to certain "prohibited entities," a label that swept in some Planned Parenthood affiliates and cut them off from federal dollars for a wide range of preventive services.
KFF has detailed how the rule narrowed access to routine care and sparked lawsuits and state-level workarounds. With the one-year window set to end in early July 2026, affected affiliates say they can once again legally bill Medicaid for covered non-abortion services.
Who Lost Care and Who Gets It Back
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio stopped accepting Medicaid in September 2025 after a court lifted an earlier injunction that had shielded the affiliate from the restriction. That move affected roughly 22,000 patients who relied on Medicaid there.
Spectrum News 1 reported that contraception, STI testing and cancer-screening appointments took a particularly heavy hit as a result. Nationally, reporting summarized by Healthcare Dive shows that dozens of clinics have closed or consolidated since early 2025 amid the broader funding turmoil.
What This Means for Patients
Once affiliates resume billing, Medicaid enrollees should again be able to use their coverage for preventive care at Planned Parenthood health centers. That includes birth control, STI testing and cancer screenings, although federal rules still sharply limit Medicaid reimbursement for abortion care.
CT Mirror notes that Medicaid generally covers abortion only in cases of rape, incest or serious threats to the patient’s life. The outlet also points out that even after the federal moratorium expires, some states can still choose to keep specific providers out of their own Medicaid programs. Patients are encouraged to call their clinic or insurer before an appointment to confirm how billing and scheduling will work now that the rule is expiring.
Legal and Political Wrap-up
Over the past year, advocates and state officials tried to patch together stopgap solutions, but the policy landscape remains unsettled. Congress and federal or state agencies could still pursue new rules that reshape how and whether clinics get reimbursed.
KFF and other outlets have tracked continuing legal fights and political pressure around Medicaid and reproductive health providers, underscoring how quickly access can shift with a single policy change. For now, Ohio affiliates say they plan to start taking Medicaid again in early July and are urging Medicaid patients to contact their local Planned Parenthood for the latest information on appointments and coverage.
