Orlando, FL: A divided Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against Planned Parenthood, saying Medicaid patients do not have a right to sue to obtain non-abortion health care from the organization’s medical providers. The decision allows South Carolina to cut off Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood and has implications for patients in other states at a time when Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration are concurrently attacking Planned Parenthood. As a reminder, federal law already prevents states from using Medicaid funds to cover abortions in most cases, and the case — Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic — involves other types of reproductive health care like contraception.
Representative Dr. Anna V. Eskamani first went to Planned Parenthood as a patient in search of contraception in 2008, and then became a Planned Parenthood volunteer and staffer, working there from 2012-2018.
Below is her statement in response:
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is another devastating blow to the millions of Americans who rely on Planned Parenthood for basic, lifesaving health care, and especially for low-income patients who depend on Medicaid. Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about South Carolina. This decision opens the door for extremist politicians across the country to block people from accessing cancer screenings, STI testing, and yes — even birth control.
Republicans have long wanted to strip away access to contraception. This ruling fits into their broader agenda of controlling people’s bodies and eliminating our freedom to decide if and when to start a family. I know firsthand how critical this care is. I first walked through the doors of a Planned Parenthood in 2008 in search of affordable birth control. That access changed my life. It’s outrageous that in 2025, we are still fighting for the right to basic health care. I stand with Planned Parenthood, with providers, and with every person who just wants to live a healthy, self-determined life. We will not go back—we will organize, mobilize, and fight back.”