Planned Parenthood health facilities throughout the region are currently unable to receive reimbursement for the care that they offer to a large number of their patients. The health facilities were temporarily able to receive Medicaid payments thanks to a court order that expired on Monday and was not renewed.
That followed a July 7 lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood against the Trump administration over a reconciliation bill provision that effectively prevents health clinics from getting Medicaid funding for the upcoming year. All medical services, including birth control, STI testing and treatment, and cancer screenings, are covered by the coverage.
The law also affects more than a dozen reproductive health care clinics in Maine called Maine Family Planning, and approximately 25% of patients receiving care at Planned Parenthood health centers in northern New England are covered by Medicaid.
The legal proceedings are still ongoing. Federal funding is still available to Planned Parenthood health clinics that operate within organizations with less than $800,000 in revenue or in places where abortion is prohibited. None of the clinics in New England are affected by that.
According to Nicole Clegg, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, which comprises health clinics in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, “we are caught in this sort of limbo that’s really holding us hostage and holding our patients hostage.”
We have no idea when the court will make more rulings or what they will entail for us.
A federal district court in Massachusetts stated in a ruling on Monday that Planned Parenthood had “a substantial likelihood of success” in the case. The Trump administration filed an appeal with the First Circuit Court of Appeals the next day.
More from Vermont Public: According to officials, the Trump tax cut measure might result in 45,000 people in Vermont losing their health insurance.
Health clinics are still offering Medicaid enrollees free care for the time being. That might change, according to Clegg.
According to her, the worst-case situation is that we are unable to visit patients who are covered by Medicaid.
The group is collaborating with state leaders to see whether state funds, including $2.3 million in Vermont, could be utilized to make up the approximately $5 million in federal cash that they stand to lose.
Approximately 40% of their operations are now funded by donations. According to Clegg, this is because providers were already unable to pay for services due to the low reimbursement rates throughout the health care system. She does not want the entire expense of treating Medicaid patients to be covered by fundraising funds.
These programs are run by the government. She claimed that these initiatives are run by the government. Philanthropy shouldn’t be our only option.
