By Liz Nass
Gongwer News Service
Attorney General Dana Nessel joined 22 states in suing President Donald Trump and his administration on parameters of the federal budget bill, specifically a provision that carves Planned Parenthood out of Medicaid funding.
This is the 27th lawsuit Nessel has filed since the beginning of the administration this January.
The “Defund Provision” of the federal budget bill blocks Medicaid reimbursements for health care services from Planned Parenthood, including cancer screenings, birth control and STI testing.
“Planned Parenthood clinics are a critical part of Michigan’s healthcare system, delivering vital services to communities across the state,” Nessel said in a statement. “The Trump Administration’s push to strip funding from these providers is an unlawful political tactic aimed at undermining care, even in states like Michigan, where the right to reproductive freedom is protected by our constitution. I remain committed to standing up for Michiganders’ ability to access the healthcare they need from the providers they trust.”
Nessel and the states are asking the court to block the administration from implementing the provision because it violates the Congress’ Spending Clause power. The complaint also states the harm the states claim will do including increasing costs of $52 million over the next 10 years in Medicaid programs.
This would affect 10 Michigan clinics that serve more than 1.1 million people in the state, Nessel said. The press release on the suit pulled findings from the Guttmacher Institute that said alternative locations do not have the capacity to serve the number of people who rely on Planned Parenthood for healthcare.
Gongwer News Service
Attorney General Dana Nessel joined 22 states in suing President Donald Trump and his administration on parameters of the federal budget bill, specifically a provision that carves Planned Parenthood out of Medicaid funding.
This is the 27th lawsuit Nessel has filed since the beginning of the administration this January.
The “Defund Provision” of the federal budget bill blocks Medicaid reimbursements for health care services from Planned Parenthood, including cancer screenings, birth control and STI testing.
“Planned Parenthood clinics are a critical part of Michigan’s healthcare system, delivering vital services to communities across the state,” Nessel said in a statement. “The Trump Administration’s push to strip funding from these providers is an unlawful political tactic aimed at undermining care, even in states like Michigan, where the right to reproductive freedom is protected by our constitution. I remain committed to standing up for Michiganders’ ability to access the healthcare they need from the providers they trust.”
Nessel and the states are asking the court to block the administration from implementing the provision because it violates the Congress’ Spending Clause power. The complaint also states the harm the states claim will do including increasing costs of $52 million over the next 10 years in Medicaid programs.
This would affect 10 Michigan clinics that serve more than 1.1 million people in the state, Nessel said. The press release on the suit pulled findings from the Guttmacher Institute that said alternative locations do not have the capacity to serve the number of people who rely on Planned Parenthood for healthcare.
