Indiana’s Planned Parenthood stopped tending for all Medicaid patients due to an Indiana law that has cut their funding. Betty Cockrum, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana (PPIN), said that their over 9,300 Medicaid patients will be cut off from their clinic.
PPIN is the largest reproductive health care provider in Indiana and they perform abortions. When the Indiana law against abortion was passed, the Federal money that was used to fund Medicaid patients was cut off. PPIN insists that even before the law was in place, Medicaid patients cannot use their government insurance for abortion. The Medicaid funding to PPIN also covers many other reproductive health services like cancer screening and contraception.
Medicaid funds to PPIN already stopped last May 11 after the law was submitted and PPIN was just running on donations to pay for their Medicaid patients. Now, the donations have all been used up and Medicaid patients will not be seen unless they pay for it.
Also, according to a statement from PPIN, two if their disease intervention specialist will have to be laid off and many of their employees will not be paid on Wednesday.
PPIN went to court a month ago to stop Indiana from cutting their Medicaid funds. U.S District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt said that a decision will be made regarding the issue on the 1st of July. Until then, many Medicaid patients will have to be turned down by PPIN.
PPIN already announced that if the judge does not favor them by July 1st, they will be left with no choice but to close down clinics and lay off many of their workers.
