BATON ROUGE, La. — Planned Parenthood is asking a federal judge to stop Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration from ending Medicaid payments to the organization’s Louisiana clinics.
Jindal, a Republican presidential candidate, announced plans this month to cut off the funding, citing hidden-camera videos that accuse the organization of profiting from fetal tissue sales. Planned Parenthood denies the allegations.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast says termination of its Medicaid provider agreements will limit health services for poor people. The lawsuit says the Jindal administration is violating federal law and unconstitutionally penalizing patients for their association with Planned Parenthood.
The Medicaid payments are set to end Sept. 2 unless Planned Parenthood gets the injunction it’s seeking.
Federal officials have warned states that blocking Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood could violate the law.
