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Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of allowing South Carolina to bar Planned Parenthood from participating in its Medicaid program.
In a decision split on ideological lines, the Court ruled in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic that the organization and a patient cannot sue the state to choose their own qualified healthcare provider.
This was a major blow to Planned Parenthood's devious ways of using taxpayer funds to advance their killing of unwanted, unborn children.
Be informed, not misled.
The ruling was widely celebrated by pro-life advocates who argue that Planned Parenthood receiving funding, even for non abortion services, helps it advance its abortion agenda.
Indeed, McMaster noted in 2018 that “payment of taxpayer funds to abortion clinics, for any purpose, results in the subsidy of abortion and the denial of the right to life.”
Christina Francis, a medical doctor, posted on X, "Amazing ruling!! States have the right to protect life and keep their tax dollars from going to the largest abortion mill company in the country!
Pro-Life group Susan B Anthony posted, "SCOTUS VICTORY: This morning SCOTUS delivered a major win for babies and their mothers in Medina v. PP South Atlantic, clearing the way for SC and other states to stop funding big abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood in their Medicaid programs."
Amazing ruling!! States have the right to protect life and keep their tax dollars from going to the largest abortion mill company in the country! https://t.co/Euvz3M4IKU
— Christina Francis, MD (@DrFrancis4Life) June 26, 2025
CBS News said this:
The legal wrangling over South Carolina's attempt to stop public dollars from going to a Planned Parenthood affiliate in the state began in 2018, four years before the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade.
In South Carolina, abortion is banned after six weeks gestation, and Planned Parenthood provides abortion services outside of Medicaid only as allowed under state law. Additionally, federal law bars Medicaid from paying for abortions except in cases of rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother.
But seven years ago, South Carolina's Republican governor, Henry McMaster, issued an executive order that directed the state's health department to deem abortion providers unqualified to provide family-planning services under Medicaid and terminate their enrollment agreements.
In response, the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services notified Planned Parenthood South Atlantic that its provider agreements were being cancelled because it was no longer qualified to provide medical services to Medicaid beneficiaries. The affiliate has clinics in Charleston and Columbia, and offers prenatal and postpartum services, along with physical exams and screenings for cancer and other health conditions.
In the wake of the state's decision to boot Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program, Julie Edwards, a patient who received medical services from the organization, and Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit under federal civil rights law to challenge the move.
Edwards argued that South Carolina's termination of Planned Parenthood's agreement violated her right to choose her provider under the Medicaid Act.
A federal district judge ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood, finding that South Carolina likely violated the any-qualified-provider provision when it excluded Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ultimately allowed the suit to proceed and prevented South Carolina from keeping Planned Parenthood out of its Medicaid program.
Elected officials in South Carolina also weighed in.
“Seven years ago, we took a stand to protect the sanctity of life and defend South Carolina’s authority and values - and today, we are finally victorious,” said McMaster. “The legality of my executive order prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood has been affirmed by the highest court in the land.”
State Sen. Larry Grooms, meanwhile, said Republican efforts to stand up for the unborn have paid off.
Takeaway
“Thanks to Republicans who consistently stand for the unborn, Planned Parenthood in South Carolina is now on life support," McMaster said in a statement. "Today’s ruling is a great win for the cause of life and a great win for taxpayers who will no longer be forced to subsidize organizations that make money from killing unborn children.”
South Carolina State Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey called the ruling a "win" for all taxpayers in the state.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Faithful. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Prayerful.
