The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 on Thursday to allow South Carolina to exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program, reversing lower court decisions that blocked the move.
The case challenged whether Medicaid recipients have the right to sue under federal law to keep access to qualified healthcare providers. South Carolina officials had deemed Planned Parenthood unqualified due to its abortion services, prompting a lawsuit from the group and patient Julie Edwards.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court allows states to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. https://t.co/o6pNEzDj3w
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 26, 2025
The ruling, supported by President Donald Trump’s administration, bolsters Republican-led states seeking to limit public funds to reproductive healthcare providers. The court’s three liberal justices dissented.
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic serves hundreds of low-income patients in Charleston and Columbia. Edwards and her lawyers argued their right to choose providers was violated under an 1871 law meant to protect individuals from unlawful state action.
The decision marks a major legal win for conservatives pushing to reshape abortion access since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.
