NEED TO KNOW
- The Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that Medicaid patients can’t sue states for defunding Planned Parenthood.
- South Carolina now free to block funding for non-abortion care like cancer screenings and contraception.
- Justice Gorsuch says the law doesn’t guarantee the right to choose your doctor, or apparently a uterus.
Justices Declare: States Know Best What You Need Down There
Washington, D.C. — In a decision with enormous consequences, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that South Carolina can defund Planned Parenthood. Medicaid patients no longer have the right to sue their state over being denied access to reproductive health services.
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, declaring that the law doesn’t give patients the power to fight back. Instead, the ruling leaves it up to states to decide which doctors Medicaid patients can use. Many health advocates say this puts thousands at risk, especially in areas with limited care options.
Medicaid Patients Lose More Than Access
In 2018, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster banned Medicaid from reimbursing Planned Parenthood for family planning services. Even though federal law already blocks abortion funding, the state still targeted all services provided by the organization.
The court’s decision sided with the state. Gorsuch argued that Congress had not clearly granted the right to sue in such cases. Critics say that logic opens the door for more states to quietly strip away access to care.
Jackson and Liberals Sound the Alarm
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, calling the ruling a blow to civil rights law. She said the court gave states a blueprint to avoid accountability for violating Medicaid patients’ rights.
“This Court just handed South Carolina a permission slip to ignore its own people,” Jackson wrote. “Poor women should not have fewer options because their governor holds a grudge.”
Backlash and Real-World Impact
Planned Parenthood operates clinics in Charleston and Columbia, offering contraception, cancer screenings, and other services. With Medicaid dollars now off-limits, patients may have to travel long distances or skip care entirely.
Governor McMaster responded by suggesting that women “explore their options online” and assured the public that “freedom means tough choices.”
Quote of the Moment
If your uterus had a lobbyist, this wouldn’t have happened
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
