Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood

Press Release:

Attorney General Tong Sues Trump Administration for Attempting to Block Federal Medicaid

Preceding Event:

The budget reconciliation bill, known colloquially as “The Big Beautiful Bill,” was passed by the Republican-lead Congress and signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025. In this bill was a provision referred to in this press release and lawsuit, as “The Defund Provision.” The law cuts over $1.2 trillion from federal spending, to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.

One of the key parts of the provision is the prohibition of Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood and other “prohibited entities” for one year. According to the press release, a “prohibited entity” is “a healthcare provider or its affiliates that is a non-profit, an essential health provider who primarily provides family planning or reproductive healthcare services, that received more than $800,000 in Medicaid funds in FY2023, and provides abortions NOT covered by federal Medicaid as of October 1, 2025.” The press release said that these characteristics apply “almost exclusively to Planned Parenthood.”

General Overview:

According to the press release from July 29, 2025, “Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 23 states in suing the Trump Administration over the sweeping budget reconciliation law (‘Big Beautiful Bill’), specifically the ‘Defund Provision,’ signed by President Donald Trump this month.” The suit says that the targeting of Planned Parenthood is unconstitutional, will put administrative burdens upon most of the plaintiff states and ultimately cost them money.

Connecticut Nexus:

According to the press release, “In Connecticut, Planned Parenthood provides care to over 24,000 individual patients on Medicaid each year.”

Date of filing:

July 29, 2025

Case #:

1:25-cv-12118

Case title:

State of California et al v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) et al

Plaintiffs: 22 states and D.C.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA;
STATE OF NEW YORK;
STATE OF CONNECTICUT;
STATE OF COLORADO;
STATE OF DELAWARE;
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA;
STATE OF HAWAIʻI;
STATE OF ILLINOIS;
STATE OF MAINE;
STATE OF MARYLAND;
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS;
STATE OF MICHIGAN;
STATE OF MINNESOTA;
STATE OF NEVADA;
STATE OF NEW JERSEY;
STATE OF NEW MEXICO;
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA;
STATE OF OREGON;
JOSH SHAPIRO, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS GOVERNOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA;
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND;
STATE OF VERMONT;
STATE OF WASHINGTON;
STATE OF WISCONSIN

Defendants:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES;
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., in his official capacity as Secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services;
CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES;
DR. MEHMET OZ, in his official capacity as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Court:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

Related Case #(‘s):

1:25-cv-11913-IT

Status as of Dec. 1, 2025:

OPEN
Last filing Nov. 24, 2025