Impact of Medicaid Funding Freeze on Planned Parenthood in Michigan
Planned Parenthood facilities in Michigan continue to provide abortion services even as Medicaid funding is frozen for abortion providers by the Trump administration. As a result, approximately 14,500 Medicaid beneficiaries must now seek alternative options or pay out of pocket for essential health services previously available at Planned Parenthood, such as cancer screenings, birth control, and treatments for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Jess Agius, the clinical director of telehealth for Planned Parenthood of Michigan, highlighted the potential consequences of restricted access to healthcare: “For so many people, then they’re just not going to get the care that they need,” she noted, citing procedures like follow-up pap smears, breast mass evaluations, and birth control as critical services now out of reach for many.
While Medicaid does not fund abortion in Michigan, it has historically supported other services at Planned Parenthood, including 27,022 STI services, 36,999 birth control cycles, and 1,624 cancer screenings in 2024. This funding freeze follows a U.S. appeals court decision permitting the Trump administration to temporarily halt Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood, despite a lower court ruling in favor of continuing the funds. The situation is currently being contested in court by a coalition of states, including Michigan, challenging the provision within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that bans Medicaid payments to large healthcare nonprofits offering abortions. The coalition has filed a preliminary injunction request to restore funding, arguing that the provision leads to a shortage of providers, increased healthcare costs, and inadequate patient care.
The impact of reduced access is already being felt in Michigan, where Agius emphasized the lack of healthcare providers accepting Medicaid: “You’re taking that already small pool and limiting it even more.” Planned Parenthood of Michigan initially covered costs for Medicaid patients with pre-scheduled appointments through September 22 but has since informed new patients that Medicaid will no longer cover their care.
Patients are reportedly experiencing confusion and distress, with some expressing fear over limited alternatives. Planned Parenthood staff are offering lists of alternative providers and sliding-scale fee options where possible, but many individuals may face significant out-of-pocket expenses. Agius explained, “The visit itself can be a couple of hundred dollars,” excluding additional costs for necessary labs or prescriptions.
This development follows the earlier closure of four Planned Parenthood clinics in Michigan due to financial pressures, including the only in-person clinic offering abortion services in the Upper Peninsula. Despite these challenges, Agius confirmed that Planned Parenthood in Michigan remains committed to providing legal abortion services. “We just need help getting patients to be able to get the [other] services, now that their Medicaid isn’t going to work anymore for them at Planned Parenthood,” she stated.
In contrast, Planned Parenthood in Wisconsin has chosen to pause abortion services in response to the funding freeze. For more on this decision, visit the full report here.
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