Equality California Condemns Supreme Court for Siding With Far-Right Extremism in Medina v. Planned Parenthood

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a devastating blow for medical providers and Medicaid recipients, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that those receiving care through Medicaid cannot sue to enforce the program's 'freedom of choice' provision. Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which originated in South Carolina, was brought after that state repeatedly attempted to remove Planned Parenthood clinics from its Medicaid program. Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang issued the following statement:

"The Supreme Court has issued yet another reckless decision that will wreak havoc on the healthcare rights of millions of Americans. This ruling is a direct attack on low-income people, especially women, LGBTQ+ people, and communities of color who rely on Medicaid for basic care.

Federal law requires every state's Medicaid program to have a 'freedom of choice' provision, but the Court today has ensured that provision is nothing more than a paper tiger with no meaningful way of being enforced.

Stripping patients of the right to choose their provider - simply because extremists disagree with that provider's values - is cruel, dangerous, and unconstitutional.

Let's be clear: this is about control, not care. It's part of a larger effort to dismantle reproductive rights and undermine healthcare access for the most vulnerable in our communities."

In California, laws are already in place that allow people to choose their own healthcare providers, and the 'freedom of choice' provision is readily enforced through our state Medicaid system, Medi-CAL. We will continue to advocate for the right of all people to make their own healthcare decisions, including the choice of provider.

Millions of Americans seek everyday healthcare at Planned Parenthood clinics across the country - including cancer screenings, checkups, STI testing, and more. Contraceptive services are the number one reason people visit Planned Parenthood. Recent polling shows that more than half of patients who visit a Planned Parenthood health center rely on Medicaid and other government health programs to access this care.

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