Delivering a blow to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that South Carolina (and, thus, any state) can deny Medicaid funding to the nation’s largest abortion provider.
In Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, the Supreme Court vacated a lower court’s ruling that private individuals can sue a state based on federal Medicaid law, if the state prohibits taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood. Thursday’s ruling also remanded the case for further proceedings consistent with its opinion. The majority opinion in the 6-3 decision was written by Justice Neil Gorsuch.
Medicaid funding for a state’s health care providers is provided by both state and federal governments. The federal government provides nearly sixty percent of the funds to implement Medicaid. According to Congress’ Hyde Amendment, federal money cannot be used to fund abortions, except in extraordinary cases.
While Planned Parenthood says it provides many other family planning services, it is the nation’s largest abortion provider, performing abortions on 97% of the pregnant women who visit its facilities, according to Lozier Institute analysis of the organization’s annual report for fiscal year 2023-24.
Planned Parenthood performed an annual record 402,230 abortions, according to its latest annual report – an increase of over 9,500 (2%) from the previous year, and 23% since 2013.
Planned Parenthood has been excluded from receiving South Carolina Medicaid funds since 2018, due to an executive action signed by the state’s Republican governor, Henry McMaster. The governor took the executive action because any funding provided to Planned Parenthood, at least indirectly, funds abortions and undermines the state’s commitment to protect the unborn.
BREAKING NEWS: The Supreme Court has ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina after the state terminated the organization's Medicaid funding for providing abortion services. NEWSMAX National Correspondent Alana Austin has more. @alana_austin pic.twitter.com/r8IbnAh05U
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) June 26, 2025
Pro-life advocates cheered Thursday’s Supreme Court decision.
“States should be free to fund real, comprehensive care and exclude organizations like Planned Parenthood that profit off abortion and distribute dangerous gender-transition drugs to minors,” Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel John Bursch, who argued before the court on behalf of South Carolina, said following the decision. “The Supreme Court rightly restored the ability of states like South Carolina to steward limited public resources to best serve their citizens.”
“We also thank South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and his administration for persevering through many years of legal battles to achieve this victory,” Bursch said in a statement.
“This is one of the unfolding victories of the 2022 Dobbs decision and rightly shows deference to the states,” Priests for Life National Director Frank Pavone said. “People should not have the right to bar states from disqualifying abortion providers from receiving taxpayer money.”
CatholicVote’s President Kelsey Reinhardt called the Supreme Court ruling “a major pro-life victory” and said lawmakers should send more funding to organizations dedicated to providing helpful pregnancy services, instead of those that destroy life:
“For too long, taxpayer dollars - including those of pro-life Americans and faithful Catholics - have been used to fund an industry built on the destruction of innocent human life. No one should be forced to subsidize abortion. Life is God’s most precious gift, beginning at the moment of conception and deserving of protection until natural death.
“With today’s ruling, CatholicVote urges lawmakers to redirect support to organizations that uphold the dignity of both mother and child - especially the thousands of pregnancy resource centers that offer real help to women, without sacrificing their children or compromising their safety.”