SCOTUS upholds South Carolina ban on Medicaid funds for Planned Parenthood

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld South Carolina's ban on funding for Planned Parenthood for non-abortion services, notching a win for conservatives who have long hoped to strip the abortion provider of state financial support.

The justices voted 6-3 in favor of the ban, with Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch authoring the majority opinion. The ruling permits the state to bar Medicaid from issuing reimbursements to the organization for even non-abortion-related procedures and services, such as cancer screenings.

Planned Parenthood, primarily known as an abortion provider, regularly highlights its non-abortion-related services when under public scrutiny. The organization's suit argued that the removal of their clinics from the state's Medicaid roster ran afoul of patient rights to choose their providers.

The organization has struggled in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022.