Heartbeat weighs in at SCOTUS on South Carolina defunding Planned Parenthood

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Heartbeat International has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the state of South Carolina in defunding Planned Parenthood and refocusing its Medicaid spending away from services that end human life.

Heartbeat, the largest network of pregnancy help organizations in the U.S. and globally, was among numerous others in filing amicus briefs in the case, including the Trump administration, various Members of Congress, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.

The case, now Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, centers on a 2018 executive order from McMaster excluding abortion providers from receiving tax dollars including for family planning via Medicaid. A South Carolina woman had sued challenging that state’s decision to end Planned Parenthood’s participation in its Medicaid program.

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The state of South Carolina filed its opening brief in the case on Feb. 5, Live Action News reports, following the Supreme Court deciding last year it would hear the case.

The original case was Kerr v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, however, Robert Kerr retired from the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services last November and was succeeded by interim director Eunice Medina. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is representing Medina in her role as head of the Department of Health.

Both ADF and Heartbeat ask SCOTUS in their briefs to consider:

Whether the Medicaid Act’s any-qualified provider provision unambiguously confers a private right upon a Medicaid beneficiary to choose a specific provider.

Heartbeat International had filed an amicus brief last July as well asking the Supreme Court to take the case.

In its amicus brief Heartbeat from Feb. 10, Heartbeat argues that states have the right to enforce the values of their citizens, including protecting the most vulnerable.

In the brief, Heartbeat also highlights the life-giving work performed by pregnancy centers as further evidence that South Carolinians can receive excellent care without the state’s two Planned Parenthood locations.

Tweet This: Heartbeat highlighted the work of pregnancy centers as evidence for SCOTUS that South Carolinians can get care without Planned Parenthood.

Opening arguments in the case are scheduled for April 2.

Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.