Vikki Wachino’s Tuesday letter to state Medicaid agencies in all 50 states strongly reminded them that they can not cut funding to otherwise qualified medical providers just because they might also provide abortion services. “Providing the full range of women’s health services neither disqualifies a provider from participating in the Medicaid program, nor is the provision of such services inconsistent with the best interests of the beneficiary, and shall not be grounds for a state’s action against a provider in the Medicaid program”, she wrote.
While Planned Parenthood officials have said they were confident that Medicaid funds could not be blocked by the state, they acknowledge that about $500,000 in other public funds are expected to be lost. State lawmakers said the law ensures opponents of abortion aren’t forced to indirectly pay for the procedure via tax dollars that go to clinics for other procedures. FULL REPORT
