Planned Parenthood clinics in Oregon and California are bracing for potential closures after a federal budget bill cut off Medicaid funding for providers that offer abortions — threatening access to preventive care in states where abortion remains legal.
The bill prohibits nonprofits that provide abortions from using Medicaid to pay for other treatments. While federal law already bars the use of federal money for most abortion services, the bill expands restrictions, blocking Medicaid coverage for other care, including STI testing and family planning.
In a written statement, Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, called the bill a “backdoor abortion ban” and said it would make accessing abortion more difficult nationwide, even in states where it is legal.
The Planned Parenthood Action Fund estimates nearly 200 health centers are now at risk of closing without federal funding. About 90% are in states where abortion remains legal.
Some closures have already begun.
Five clinics in the Bay Area and Central Valley have announced closures. They were run by Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, which serves parts of California and Nevada. These closures follow the loss of $300 million in federal funding to Planned Parenthood affiliates in California. in federal funds.
Planned Parenthood Southwestern Oregon, which serves eight counties, has not yet closed any health centers, but that could change. President and CEO Amy Handler said closures could come in “months, not years.”
“We can hold steady a bit longer,” Handler said. “It won’t be forever."
The regional affiliate runs four health centers: two in Eugene, one in Medford and one in Grants Pass.
Handler said they serve approximately 22,000 patients every year, with 70% relying on Medicaid. Abortions account for about 5% of the services.
“We provide everything from A to V, which is abortion to vasectomies and everything in between,” Handler said. “To target Planned Parenthood because of one service is unfair, unjust. It puts lives at risk because of all the critical preventative care that we provide.”
