Judge Blocks Part of One‑Year Medicaid Defund Rule for Planned Parenthood
Key part of OBBB temporarily halted pending legal challenge
A federal judge has temporarily halted a key part of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB) that would have cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood for one year. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction Monday, blocking the defunding only for facilities that either don’t provide abortions or that receive less than $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements annually.
The provision, included in the OBBB signed in early July, was intended to stop Medicaid payments to abortion providers and their affiliates. It targeted clinics receiving over $800,000 annually, even if they also offer services such as contraception, cancer screenings, or STD testing.
Judge Talwani wrote that Planned Parenthood showed a "substantial likelihood" of success on an equal protection claim, noting the law's vague “affiliate” language risks penalizing clinics that do not perform abortions or receive lower Medicaid funding.
Planned Parenthood applauded the decision, saying it protects some clinics from “chaos, confusion, and harm” to patients who rely on reproductive and preventive care. Yet the organization cautioned that clinics not covered by the injunction could still face closures and disrupt healthcare access.
In response, Miles Mullin of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention criticized the ruling. He argued that Planned Parenthood “promotes and recommends abortion” even at clinics that do not perform the procedure and accused the court of ignoring the rights of unborn children.
Planned Parenthood filed the lawsuit earlier this month in Boston, naming HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a defendant. They contend the cut violates the First Amendment and targets their network unfairly.
The government defended the law as reflecting the will of voters and Congress, arguing it merely stops taxpayer support for abortion providers. It is expected to appeal the decision to the First Circuit, and possibly beyond.
This partial block means some Planned Parenthood clinics will continue receiving Medicaid support for now. But others—especially large or abortion-providing affiliates—could still lose funding pending the outcome of this case, which could ultimately reach the Supreme Court.
