Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Federal Judge Blocks La.'s Effort To Defund Planned Parenthood; Texas Cancels Group's Medicaid Contract
The Wall Street Journal's Law Blog: Judge Blocks Louisiana’s Effort To Ban Planned Parenthood Affiliate From Medicaid
A federal judge has blocked Louisiana from expelling a regional affiliate of Planned Parenthood from Medicaid. The judge’s order dealt a setback to Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s effort to strip the group of Medicaid funding following the release of videos on fetal tissue research. (Gershman, 10/19)
Reuters: U.S. Judge Orders Louisiana To Fund Planned Parenthood Clinics
A federal judge has blocked Louisiana's efforts to defund Planned Parenthood clinics in the state, finding that more than 5,000 low-income patients would have their healthcare disrupted by a move he ruled likely ran afoul of the law. U.S. District Judge John deGravelles issued a temporary restraining order late on Sunday requiring Louisiana to continue providing Medicaid funding to the reproductive health organization's clinics for the next two weeks as the legal fight over the payments continues. (Grimm, 10/19)
Bloomberg: Louisiana Planned Parenthood Medicaid Funding Gets Reprieve
Louisiana must wait at least two more weeks to cut Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood’s two in-state clinics as a federal judge sought more information and cast doubt on the legal justification for the move. (Calkins, 10/19)
The Associated Press: Judge: Louisiana Must Fund Planned Parenthood For 14 Days
Louisiana must continue providing Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood clinics for 14 more days while a legal battle continues over Gov. Bobby Jindal's recent order to block the funding, a federal judge ruled. (McGill, 10/19)
The Dallas Morning News: Texas Moves To Cut Medicaid Funding For Planned Parenthood
Aiming to drain the last few drops of state funding from Planned Parenthood, Texas officials announced Monday that they have taken steps to exclude the contentious organization from the state’s Medicaid program, citing violations observed in recently released undercover videos. The move targets about $3 million, most of it federal money, paid to clinics that provided health services to poor Texas women. Planned Parenthood officials vowed to fight the cuts but did not say whether they would go to court over the matter. (Martin, 10/19)
The Austin Statesman: Texas Moves To Kick Planned Parenthood Out Of Medicaid
A Texas health official on Monday informed Planned Parenthood that it is being dropped as a Medicaid health care provider, saying undercover videos of fetal tissue practices show that the organization does not operate in a “professionally competent, safe, legal and ethical manner.” Planned Parenthood has 30 days to respond or be automatically severed from the program, according to the letters sent by the Health and Human Services inspector general. (Lindell, 10/19)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Kicks Planned Parenthood Out Of Medicaid Program
Texas health officials say they are kicking Planned Parenthood out of the state Medicaid program entirely over what they called "acts of misconduct" revealed in undercover videos filmed earlier this year. Republican state leaders, who vehemently oppose abortion, have worked for years to curb taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood — despite the fact that its clinics may not receive such funding if they perform the procedure. (Walters and Ura, 10/19)
The Washington Post: Texas Cancels Contracts With Planned Parenthood
In letters to all Planned Parenthood affiliates in the state, the state health department’s inspector general said the videos persuaded them that the organization was “no longer capable of providing medical services in a professionally competent, safe, legal, and ethical manner.” (Somashekhar, 10/19)
The Associated Press: Texas Cuts Off Medicaid Funding To Planned Parenthood Clinics
The letter sent to Texas clinics attempted to address the issue of access to other services. The five-page letter was sent by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Office of Inspector General. “Your termination and that of all your affiliates will not affect access to care in this state because there are thousands of alternate providers in Texas, including federally qualified health centers, Medicaid-certified rural health clinics, and other health care providers across the state that participate in the Texas Women’s Health Program and Medicaid,” the letter said. (10/19)
The Huffington Post: Texas Says Planned Parenthood Will No Longer Receive State Medicaid Funds
Planned Parenthood's affiliate in Texas has repeatedly stated that none of its clinics participate in fetal tissue donation programs. In 2010, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast collaborated with the University of Texas Medical Branch, a publicly funded hospital, on a miscarriage study that involved fetal tissue. (Lachman, 10/19)
CNN: Texas Cuts Planned Parenthood From Medicaid
Republicans have called for Planned Parenthood to be defunded at the federal level. Democrats have maintained federal dollars are already prohibited from going to abortions, and that Planned Parenthood provides important health care for women. Planned Parenthood on Monday blasted the decision to cut Medicaid contracts for providing birth control, cancer screenings, HIV tests and preventative care, noting that a federal judge in Louisiana on Monday blocked a similar move. (Kopan, 10/19)
