Limiting Legal Remedies for Medicaid Prioritizes Politics over Access to Care
Document Type
Blog Post
Publication Date
7-9-2025
Publisher
American Constitution Society
Language
en-US
Abstract
In the first U.S. Supreme Court case involving access to abortion after the 2024 election, a 6-3 majority allowed states to block Medicaid patients from choosing their own health care provider. Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic involved a diabetic Medicaid patient seeking comprehensive health care at Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSA). In 2018, South Carolina blocked PPSA from Medicaid unless it would agree not to provide any abortions. Under federal law, Medicaid already only pays for abortions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life or health of the patient. But that wasn’t enough for South Carolina policymakers, who in 2022 also voted to severely restrict abortion access.
Medina shows that states are emboldened to limit access to medical care after the Dobbs decision overturned the right to access abortion. At the same time, this decision allows states to defy safeguards for people enrolled in federal spending programs, like Medicaid, reflecting a long campaign to weaken the American safety net. Together, the implications for access to medical care across different states cannot be overstated.
Recommended Citation
Nicole Huberfeld,
Limiting Legal Remedies for Medicaid Prioritizes Politics over Access to Care
,
Expert Forum
(2025).
Available at:
https://scholarship.law.bu.edu/shorter_works/259
Publisher URL
https://www.acslaw.org/expertforum/limiting-legal-remedies-for-medicaid-prioritizes-politics-over-access-to-care/
