Michigan's Fight for Reproductive Freedom is Far from Over
In July, President Trump signed his Big Bad Budget Bill into law and “defunded” Planned Parenthood by barring us from accepting Medicaid reimbursements for covered services in an effort to shut down health centers, fulfilling a years-long goal of anti-abortion extremists who have spent decades scheming to end abortion access nationwide. When the bill was signed on the Fourth of July, anti-abortion members of Congress celebrated, smiled, and danced – but while they reveled in their cruelty, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) prepared a lawsuit and the fight against “defunding” moved into the courts.
At the time we are publishing this, “defunding” is on pause thanks to a temporary injunction issued by a federal judge, and Planned Parenthood of Michigan (PPMI) can continue to see patients with Medicaid. But this relief is only temporary, and things could change at any moment, leaving Planned Parenthood affiliates in legal limbo and Medicaid patients nationwide unsure of when and where they can get the care they need.
While we can’t promise that things won’t change in Michigan in the coming weeks and months, what we can promise is this: We will never stop fighting for your right to access the health care you need and deserve.
We also need to be clear about what “defunding” really means. When lawmakers talk about “defunding” Planned Parenthood, they want it to sound like they’ve been writing Planned Parenthood a blank check to spend as they wish, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Like any other health care provider, PPMI is reimbursed by Medicaid for the care they’ve provided — and because of the Hyde Amendment, federal dollars can not be used to pay for abortion except in rare circumstances. When lawmakers brag about this bill’s passage and celebrate that they’ve “defunded” Planned Parenthood, they’re actually celebrating that they’ve taken away lifesaving, preventive health care from Michiganders with Medicaid. They’re cheering that your neighbor won’t be able to get a Pap test to screen for cancer. They’re proud that they’ve taken away your birth control. They’re posing for photos because someone in Michigan won’t be able to treat their sexually transmitted infection.
If PPFA ultimately loses its legal fight and “defunding” is allowed to become law, as many as 200 Planned Parenthood health centers could close nationwide. These impacts will be exacerbated by the bill’s broader cuts to the Medicaid program, which will take insurance coverage away from hundreds of thousands of Michiganders and force many hospitals and safety net health care providers to close, especially in rural areas. These closures mean longer drives, longer waits, and dangerous delays for everyone trying to access basic care — including abortion — even here in Michigan, where reproductive freedom is a constitutional right.
This looming health care crisis isn’t an accidental consequence of the budget bill. It’s the point of the bill. The extremists pushing this agenda know their anti-abortion beliefs are deeply out of touch with their constituents, so they’re doing everything they can to put health care out of reach — and they don’t care who it hurts.
We don’t know what comes next, but we will continue to meet it head-on – and we need your help now more than ever before. Visit ppmi.org/6actions to learn how you can join the fight to protect sexual and reproductive health care access across Michigan.
Whether you start a fundraiser or give to PPMI’s Patient Care Fund, subscribe to receive updates to stay informed, become a volunteer, or share your personal story about the importance of sexual and reproductive health care access, every action has the power to make a difference. Thank you for supporting Planned Parenthood and thank you for standing up for Michiganders, no matter what.
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