In continuation of the controversy over federal funding to Planned Parenthood, Republicans have passed a bill in the House that would give states the ability to end their funding to the organization. H.R. 3495 would do this by allowing states to exclude health care providers that perform abortions from participating in that state’s Medicaid program. States would not be given this authority if the abortion was performed in the cases of rape, incest, or danger to the health of the mother.

The bill passed the House by a partisan vote of 236–193. The White House has threatened to veto the bill.

Right Now

Current law prohibits federal funding from being spent to perform most abortions, with exceptions listed above. However, the law does not prohibit health care providers from performing abortions, and Planned Parenthood accepts Medicaid for its non-abortion health services. H.R. 3495 would allow a state to exclude Planned Parenthood and any other institution that provides abortion services from participating in Medicaid entirely.

If The Bill Is Passed

Sponsor Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI7) said in a press release, “Some states want to refuse this tainted money being used by an awful organization that profits from selling aborted children’s organs.” Democrats have argued against H.R. 3495 on the grounds that the loss of Medicaid funding would be detrimental to the other health services of abortion-providing institutions.

According to their 2013–2014 Annual Report (p. 23), Planned Parenthood received roughly 41% of its total revenue from government service grants and reimbursements, including all payments from Medicaid managed care plans. None of that money is spent on abortion services, per existing law. Rather, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and cancer screening and prevention account for more than half of the services Planned Parenthood provides (report, p. 19).

The organization receives federal funding in other forms, which have been the target of other defunding bills, such as Title X grants from the Public Health Service Act.