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U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro: "I will do everything in my power to save this funding for 24,000 women and men who receive consistent health care from Planned Parenthood."
Under the “Defund Provision” of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” an estimated 24,000 Connecticut residents enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program, HUSKY, could lose access to essential reproductive health services, such as cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing.
Planned Parenthood — and a coalition of 24 states and their attorneys general, including Connecticut’s William Tong — are pushing back.
State and local representatives joins Planned Parenthood of Southern New England in decrying the federal government's efforts to limit access to essential reproductive care.
At a press conference Tuesday at the administrative offices of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) in New Haven, state and local officials joined PPSNE leaders in celebrating a legal victory: a preliminary injunction granted by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston. The ruling found that the Republican-passed, President Trump-signed law likely violates the constitution by targeting Planned Parenthood in retaliation for providing abortion services by denying their patients Medicaid reimbursements.
As a result, patients across the country can continue using their coverage at Planned Parenthood health centers — for now.
“This is a key victory, but the fight is far from over,” said PPSNE Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Gretchen Raffa during the press conference. “We will continue to fight this cruel law to ensure everyone can get the healthcare they need, when they need it. Planned Parenthood plays an irreplaceable role in our healthcare system.”
As several speakers emphasized, the Hyde Amendment—first enacted in 1980 — already severely restricts the use of federal funds, including through Medicaid, for abortion care. Exceptions are allowed only to save the life of the pregnant person or in cases of rape or incest.
The “Big Beautiful Bill,” signed into law on July 4, blocks Medicaid funding for services provided at “prohibited entities”—defined as a nonprofit healthcare provider or its affiliates which are “essential community provider… that is primarily engaged in family planning services, reproductive health, and related medical care” and has received more than $800,000 in Medicaid funds in the 2023 fiscal year while providing abortions that are not covered under the Hyde Amendment. These provisions nearly singularly apply to Planned Parenthood, and in effect serve as a “backwards abortion ban,” according to Raffa.
Gretchen Raffa
The consequences of the bill are particularly dire for vulnerable communities, including those across Connecticut. According to Raffa, over 52,000 patients came to PPSNE in Connecticut last year for their care, and 46 percent of those patients — nearly 25,000 individuals — were insured by HUSKY Health.
According to state representatives, Connecticut is not equipped to absorb the full burden of reproductive healthcare if Planned Parenthood centers were to shut down across Connecticut. Many federally qualified health centers lack the capacity to fill the gap, and the only alternative would be for the state to shoulder roughly $6 million in care costs.
“With all the draconian cuts happening across Connecticut — in critical areas like healthcare, education, and public safety — we don’t have $6 million just lying around to cover that,” Tong said. “We’ve filed this lawsuit because it’s unconstitutional for Congress and the President to force us to violate someone else’s constitutional rights.”
As the lawsuit progresses, PPSNE is working with state legislators to ensure that their operations will be able to continue in Connecticut. During the last General Assembly session, legislators worked to increase reimbursement rates for family planning services amid the backdrop of federal cuts. PPSNE remains hopeful, and promises to continue to fight for healthcare access, citing the deadly consequences.
As the lawsuit moves forward, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) is collaborating with state legislators to ensure its operations can continue in Connecticut. During the most recent General Assembly session, legislators took steps to increase reimbursement rates for family planning services in response to looming federal funding cuts. PPSNE remains hopeful and committed to fighting for access to healthcare, warning of the potentially deadly consequences of reduced care.
“We know what will happen if this provision is allowed to take effect again,” Raffa said. “Cancers will go undetected, STIs will go untreated. Patients won’t be able to have the birth control or abortion care they need, the care that they need to plan their families and their futures. The consequences would be nothing short of a public health crisis.”
In her statement, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro also pledged her unwavering support for protecting access to care: “I promise you — and we don’t make a lot of promises in this political world — I will do everything in my power to save this funding for 24,000 women and men who receive consistent health care from Planned Parenthood,” DeLauro said. “We need to fight, and we need to mobility and galvanize men and women across this nation to stand up and say, ‘No, no,’ over and over again.”