--- title: South Carolina Wants to End Medicaid for Planned Parenthood description: The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case over whether the state can end Medicaid funding for the group, which offers crucial health services. canonical: https://time.com/7273333/south-carolina-planned-parenthood-medicaid-scotus/ author: Chantelle Lee article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-04-01T14:34:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-11T00:10:04.219Z article:section: Health og:title: South Carolina Wants to End Medicaid for Planned Parenthood og:description: The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case over whether the state can end Medicaid funding for the group, which offers crucial health services. og:url: https://time.com/7273333/south-carolina-planned-parenthood-medicaid-scotus/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt985afaa52ac70f63/6998c55cc8dcb4d4f5b50007/SCOTUS-PP-SouthCarolina.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer Announces His Retirement og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: South Carolina Wants to End Medicaid for Planned Parenthood twitter:description: The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case over whether the state can end Medicaid funding for the group, which offers crucial health services. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt985afaa52ac70f63/6998c55cc8dcb4d4f5b50007/SCOTUS-PP-SouthCarolina.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # South Carolina Wants to End Medicaid for Planned Parenthood > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f72f2607-bc17-466c-8fe1-a99fbcd71ebf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f72f2607-bc17-466c-8fe1-a99fbcd71ebf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=f72f2607-bc17-466c-8fe1-a99fbcd71ebf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f72f2607-bc17-466c-8fe1-a99fbcd71ebf&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Chantelle Lee](https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Reporter Apr 1, 2025 2:34 PM UTC  The U.S. Supreme Court building on Jan. 26, 2022 in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Supreme Court building on Jan. 26, 2022 in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images by [Chantelle Lee](https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Reporter Apr 1, 2025 2:34 PM UTC The latest effort by conservative politicians to attack Planned Parenthood has the potential to strip the group of its ability to provide health care for the poorest Americans. On April 2, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether South Carolina can prohibit Medicaid funding for any health care services provided by Planned Parenthood. The case, [_Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic_](https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/23-1275.html)_,_ stems from a 2018 [order](https://governor.sc.gov/sites/governor/files/Documents/Executive-Orders/Executive-Order-2018-21.pdf) by South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, declaring that any clinic offering abortion services would be barred from the state’s Medicaid program. Medicaid is a state-federal program that provides health insurance coverage for people who are low income, and in the majority of states—including South Carolina—it doesn’t provide coverage for abortions, with very limited exceptions. In South Carolina, abortion is banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. After McMaster issued the order, Planned Parenthood and one of its patients filed a lawsuit, arguing that the order violates a provision of the Medicaid Act that allows recipients to choose any qualified health care provider. Lower courts blocked the governor’s order, and the U.S. Supreme Court [agreed](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/us/supreme-court-abortion-south-carolina-planned-parenthood.html) in December to hear the case. [Planned Parenthood South Atlantic](https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-south-atlantic/who-we-are) (PPSAT)—which serves South Carolina, as well as North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia—has [two clinics](https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-south-atlantic/patients/health-center-locations) in South Carolina: one in Columbia and the other in Charleston. Planned Parenthood clinics in the state provide abortion services before week six of pregnancy, in accordance with state law, but they also offer many other health care services including birth control, STI testing and treatment, and cancer screenings. “It’s completely clear that the case is motivated by the anti-abortion views of the South Carolina government,” says Dr. Katherine Farris, chief medical officer of PPSAT. “But the problem is what the case is actually about is not abortion—what it’s about is people being able to access preventative health care.” **Read More**: [_A Texas Bill Claims to Clarify Near-Total Abortion Bans. Advocates Say It Won’t_](https://time.com/7272512/texas-bill-abortion-ban/) Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative Christian and anti-abortion legal advocacy group, is representing South Carolina in the case. John Bursch, vice president of appellate advocacy for ADF and lead counsel for South Carolina on the case, says the state does “not want to use its tax dollars to prop up the abortion industry.” He adds that there are “many other publicly funded health care clinics in South Carolina \[that\] provide more comprehensive and real health care” that receive Medicaid funding, and claims that South Carolina is “not denying choice to anybody” to choose their medical provider. More than a million people in South Carolina were enrolled in Medicaid as of June 2024, according to [KFF](https://www.kff.org/statedata/election-state-fact-sheets/south-carolina/#:~:text=Total%20Medicaid%20and%20CHIP%20enrollment,1.1%20million%20in%20Jun%202024.). Many Medicaid recipients are [people of color](https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/data-and-systems/downloads/macbis/2020-race-etncity-data-brf.pdf)—in South Carolina, nearly three in five people enrolled in Medicaid identify as non-white, according to the [Guttmacher Institute](https://www.guttmacher.org/2025/03/whats-stake-medina-v-planned-parenthood-south-atlantic). Many of the patients who visit Planned Parenthood clinics [are Medicaid recipients](https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/health-care-equity/medicaid-and-reproductive-health#:~:text=Cuts%20to%20Medicaid%20significantly%20affect,control%20and%20lifesaving%20cancer%20screenings.). Farris says that if the state bars Medicaid coverage of Planned Parenthood services, that could lead to many patients not receiving care or their care being delayed. That could have “major health ramifications,” Farris says, such as unintended pregnancies or worsening health outcomes—for instance, if screenings and treatment for STIs or cancer are put off. “The vast majority of health care providers either decline to accept Medicaid patients or severely restrict the number of new Medicaid patients that they will accept,” Farris says. “So functionally, those patients can’t get in and don’t have a provider. And at Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, we do not limit the number of Medicaid patients that we will see, which is fairly rare in the medical world.” The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case at a time when three other states—[Texas](https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/15/texas-abortion-planned-parenthood-lawsuit/), [Arkansas](https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-great-plains/patient-resources/insurance-and-medicaid), and [Missouri](https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-great-plains/missouri-medicaid)—have already removed Planned Parenthood from their Medicaid programs. **Read More:** [_Here Are Trump’s Major Moves Affecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare_](https://time.com/7260062/trump-first-month-abortion-reproductive-rights/) Many reproductive rights organizations—including the Center for Reproductive Rights, which [filed an amicus brief](https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/23-1275-Amicus-Brief-Reproductive-Rights-Health-Justice-Orgs.pdf) for the case—have urged the court to side with PPSAT. “We all know what a personal decision it is to decide what doctor to see and what doctor to visit, and you want somebody that you feel comfortable with, and that is even more important and essential when you are seeking sexual and reproductive health care,” says Autumn Katz, interim director of U.S. litigation for the Center for Reproductive Rights. Bursch says that the Medicaid Act dictates that a state can disqualify a provider if it doesn’t provide services in compliance with state law. He says that PPSAT still provides abortion services before six weeks of pregnancy (which is legal in South Carolina) and that the group advocates against South Carolina’s abortion restrictions. When asked about Bursch’s comments in a press briefing, Catherine Peyton Humphreville, senior staff attorney for Planned Parenthood Federation of America who is representing PPSAT in this case, said that the organization “complies with all South Carolina laws—this includes South Carolina’s very draconian abortion ban.” “PPSAT does provide the very limited number of abortions it’s able to provide under the state’s abortion ban,” Humphreville says. “The idea that \[South Carolina\] can punish PPSAT for advocating—simply advocating for abortion, not just providing abortion, but advocating for abortion—has serious First Amendment issues.” On March 31, Planned Parenthood [said](https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/pressroom/breaking-trump-administration-attempts-to-gut-planned-parenthood-by-withholding-title-x-funding) that nine of its affiliates received notice from the Trump Administration that starting April 1, the government would freeze funding under a federal program known as Title X, which makes millions of dollars available to clinics that provide family planning services for people who are low income. Planned Parenthood [receives more Title X funding](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/health/planned-parenthood-title-x.html) than any other provider. Reproductive rights advocates say that the impact of _Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic_ could be far-reaching. Katz says that if the U.S. Supreme Court was to side with South Carolina, other states that have implemented abortion restrictions or bans could follow suit, and that it could even open the door to states disqualifying other providers from the Medicaid program for arbitrary reasons. “They could try to exclude providers who provide other forms of health care that a state politician disagrees with or finds offensive,” Katz says. “I think that that is really what’s at stake.” “This is not the first time that a state has tried to exclude Planned Parenthood from participating in the Medicaid program,” she says, “but other states will certainly try to do the same.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7273333/south-carolina-planned-parenthood-medicaid-scotus/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7273333/south-carolina-planned-parenthood-medicaid-scotus/"},"headline":"South Carolina Wants to End Medicaid for Planned Parenthood","datePublished":"2025-04-01T14:34:29.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-11T00:10:04.219Z","description":"The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case over whether the state can end Medicaid funding for the group, which offers crucial health services.","url":"https://time.com/7273333/south-carolina-planned-parenthood-medicaid-scotus/","keywords":["Reproductive Health","News Desk","healthscienceclimate"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt985afaa52ac70f63/6998c55cc8dcb4d4f5b50007/SCOTUS-PP-SouthCarolina.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chantelle Lee","jobTitle":"Reporter","url":"https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt985afaa52ac70f63/6998c55cc8dcb4d4f5b50007/SCOTUS-PP-SouthCarolina.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer Announces His Retirement","caption":"U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer Announces His Retirement","creditText":"Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/reproductive-health/","name":"Reproductive Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7273333/south-carolina-planned-parenthood-medicaid-scotus/","name":"South Carolina Wants to End Medicaid for Planned Parenthood"}}]}] ```