Donations keep Ind. Planned Parenthood afloat for a week

INDIANAPOLIS  Planned Parenthood of Indiana said Friday that it had enough private donations to continue the treating its existing Medicaid patients around the state for one week.

The announcement came after a first-in-the-nation law cutting state Medicaid money to the health care provider took effect Wednesday.

Planned Parenthood is challenging the constitutionality of the new law, and a federal judge is expected to make a decision by July 1 on whether the law should remain in effect while the court is hearing the case or be placed hold until a verdict.

The health-care provider receives about $1.3 million a year to provide reproductive health services such as birth control, cancer screenings and sexually transmitted disease tests to 9,300 Indiana Medicaid patients.

Nationwide, 3 percent of all services that Planned Parenthood performs are abortion related, according to its website.

"The extension is possible due to the extraordinary outpouring of support from donors across the country," according to a statement Friday from the health provider. "However, this is a temporary fix and cannot be continued indefinitely."

The next hearing in the case is June 6 in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis.

Supporters of the state law, which passed both the House and Senate overwhelmingly, do not believe abortion opponents should have to have their tax dollars go to a group that performs abortions.

Federal law does not permit using Medicaid money for abortions except in cases where a mother's life is endangered or she is a victim of rape or incest.