The Supreme Court in a 6-3 split decision on Thursday ruled that states may cut off Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. The news comes in the midst of a broader, Republican-backed push to defund the largest abortion provider in the U.S.
While public health care money cannot generally be used to pay for abortions, Medicaid patients have been able to receive contraception, cancer screenings, pregnancy testing and other services through the organization.
The budget bill backed by President Donald Trump in Congress would also cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, potentially forcing the closure of around 200 centers, most of them in states where abortion is legal, the organization said.
