Planned Parenthood: Still Essential, Still Under Threat

Planned Parenthood provides vital health care services to nearly 2.1 million people across the country. Like independent abortion care providers that are also essential and also remain under threat many people served by Planned Parenthood have low incomes or live in underserved communities. Recent efforts at the state and federal level to defund abortion care providers are jeopardizing access to essential health care for millions of Americans. These attacks have recently taken on a new shape with the passage of Republican health care cuts, which specifically target Planned Parenthood as a provider of comprehensive health services in Medicaid.

To help advocates better understand the issues at play, this blog breaks down the facts: why Planned Parenthood remains indispensable, how current threats are unfolding, and what you can do to help protect access in every community that their affiliates serve.

Why Planned Parenthood Matters More Than Ever

For millions of Americans — especially those with low incomes or who live in underserved areas — Planned Parenthood is more than just a health center; it’s their primary source of health care. In fact, 65% of women who rely on Planned Parenthood consider it their regular doctor.

The organization delivers a wide range of essential services, including well-woman exams, cancer screenings, vaccinations, birth control, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In 2022 alone, Planned Parenthood provided nearly 200,000 Pap tests, over 212,000 breast exams, and more than 4.6 million STI tests and treatments.

Its impact is especially critical in communities facing the greatest barriers to accessing care. In 2019, 70% of patients had incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, and half were covered through Medicaid. Further, more than half of Planned Parenthood’s health centers are located in rural or medically underserved areas, where access to affordable health care is limited.

Planned Parenthood also plays a vital role in addressing health disparities. Nearly 40% of its patients are women of color, including approximately 573,000 Latino and 350,000 Black patients — populations that face significantly higher mortality rates from conditions such as cervical cancer.

By providing access to preventive care, Planned Parenthood helps improve health outcomes and reduces long-standing disparities in care.

Defunding Planned Parenthood Would Limit Access to Essential Health Care

Planned Parenthood is facing one of its most serious threats yet due to H.R. 1, the Republican health care cuts that were signed into law in July. The cuts include a provision that bans Medicaid funding to nonprofit providers that offer abortion services and received more than $800,000 in federal funding in 2023. While federal law already prohibits Medicaid from covering abortions, this provision goes much further — targeting the broader health care services Planned Parenthood provides to millions of patients.

This ban on Medicaid funding has the potential to close nearly 200 health centers across more than two dozen states, stripping access to cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing, and prenatal services care from over 1.1 million patients. Communities of color, LGBTQ+ patients, and those in rural or medically underserved communities would be hit hardest, as they already face systemic barriers to care.

At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood of the South Atlantic (PPSAT) poses a new threat. This case was centered on whether Medicaid patients have a right to challenge unlawful restrictions on access to a reproductive health provider of their own choice. The court ruled that they do not — effectively stripping patients of the legal right and eliminating an important tool to maintain access to reproductive health care for Medicaid patients. This decision sets a dangerous precedent. It opens the door for other states to bar access to providers like Planned Parenthood purely on political or ideological grounds, not on quality or legality of care. In doing so, it both threatens a patient’s autonomy to make their own health care decisions and Planned Parenthood’s ability to provide care to patients who utilize Medicaid.

The consequences of both legislative and legal threats are far-reaching. Other providers are not equipped to absorb the volume of patients that Planned Parenthood affiliates serve. This may lead to longer wait times, reduced service availability, and increased strain on already under-resourced clinics. Most concerning, the loss of preventive care — such as routine screenings, contraceptive services, and STI treatment — would exacerbate health disparities and contribute to rising rates of undiagnosed and untreated conditions in marginalized populations.

States Are Fighting Back

More than 20 states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over the provision to “defund” Planned Parenthood and other providers of abortion care.

Planned Parenthood affiliates in Utah and Massachusetts are among those leading the charge. In their lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, they argue that the law targets clinics not for the services they provide, but for their advocacy and association with abortion, despite the fact that Medicaid already prohibits funding abortion care. In response, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, issued a nationwide preliminary injunction, finding that the law likely violates the First Amendment and the Constitution’s Bill of Attainder Clause, which prohibits punishing specific entities without trial.

Judge Talwani found that the law’s criteria — barring Medicaid reimbursements to nonprofit clinics that both offer abortion care and have received over $800,000 in federal funds — effectively singles out Planned Parenthood, despite not naming it directly. She cited legislative history and public statements from lawmakers as evidence of punitive intent, concluding that the statute was designed to punish Planned Parenthood for its advocacy and affiliations.

The injunction ensures that Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide can continue to receive Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortion services such as birth control, STI testing, and cancer screenings while the case proceeds. In her ruling, Judge Talwani warned that enforcing the law could lead to widespread clinic closures, reduced access to care, and increased public health risks, including a rise in unintended pregnancies and untreated infections.

While the administration is expected to appeal, the ruling marks a major victory for reproductive health advocates.

You Can Still Access Care

Despite ongoing legal battles and federal attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, clinics remain open and continue to provide essential health services, thanks in part to proactive lawsuits and Judge Talwani’s nationwide injunction.

Even without court protection, many Planned Parenthood affiliates are still able to serve their communities. While federal funding restrictions pose serious challenges, clinics often rely on alternative support, including state-level funding, private donations, and sliding-scale payment models. Patients can continue to access vital services like birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and routine exams.

Planned Parenthood affiliates also partner with community organizations and health networks to bridge gaps in care and ensure consistent access. In a climate of uncertainty, Planned Parenthood remains steadfast in its mission to provide compassionate, comprehensive health care regardless of political or financial pressures.

If you are unsure about what services you can receive in your area, reach out to your local Planned Parenthood clinic. And for now, stay informed, stand with Planned Parenthood, speak out, and support efforts that protect health care access — because millions of lives depend on it.