Planned Parenthood and two smaller regional abortion providers have resumed billing Medicaid for services other than abortion following a nearly year-long cutoff. The resumption of Medicaid reimbursements began last weekend after being halted by a provision in President Trump’s 2022 tax and policy law.

The earlier defunding has been linked to the closure of multiple clinics and declines in patient screenings for conditions such as breast cancer and sexually transmitted infections. Planned Parenthood reported that nearly 30 of its approximately 600 clinics have closed over the past year, attributing the funding loss as a significant factor. The organization also noted that during this period, its affiliates dispensed about 25% fewer birth control pill packs and conducted roughly 20% fewer breast cancer exams compared to the previous year. In some regions with limited healthcare access, many patients reportedly went without care entirely.

Planned Parenthood Action Fund spokesperson Angela Vasquez-Giroux stated that the cuts have also restricted abortion access in certain areas. For instance, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin temporarily halted abortions for about a month and later relinquished its status as an “essential community provider” to resume Medicaid billing. Similarly, the Arizona affiliate paused many services for Medicaid-covered patients until the billing was reinstated.

The defunding also affected two other nonprofit family planning organizations that met the law’s criteria by providing abortion services and receiving over $800,000 annually in Medicaid reimbursements. Maine Family Planning closed three primary care clinics serving roughly 1,000 patients in predominantly rural areas. Evelyn Kieltyka, the group’s senior vice president of program services, said that even with support, patients faced waits of four to six months to establish care with new providers. Despite these challenges, the number of abortions provided by Maine Family Planning remained stable, as Maine is among several states with state-funded Medicaid coverage for abortion services.

In contrast, Health Imperatives in Massachusetts did not drop any services during the defunding period. Massachusetts state government funded the Medicaid reimbursements halted by the federal government, a support mechanism Planned Parenthood says operated in about 14 states. Additionally, Health Imperatives received a grant from the Melinda Gates Foundation to help sustain operations.

Following the Medicaid billing restoration, Planned Parenthood’s Arizona affiliate has expanded its hours and increased telehealth services. However, some services are unlikely to return. Kieltyka indicated that Maine Family Planning does not plan to reopen its primary care clinics, citing the difficulty of rebuilding after staff positions were lost. Similarly, Michelle Quesada, vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood in Florida, said the closed clinic in Lakeland will probably remain shut due in part to uncertainties about future Medicaid funding, describing the situation as a “yo-yo effect.”

The political debate over federal abortion funding remains unresolved. Abortion opponents continue to push Congress to enact new defunding measures. Kelsey Pritchard, spokesperson for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, argued that since “Big Abortion” has been defunded before, efforts should be made to do so again. Planned Parenthood, however, asserts that a majority of general election voters oppose defunding the organization, though Pritchard noted that support persists strongly within the Republican base.