The conservative battle against Planned Parenthood continues…
Indiana may become the first state in the country to ban Medic aid reimbursements for low income people seeking the services of Planned Parenthood.
The bill specifically targets abortion rights, even though there is already a federal law on the books which prevents tax funds from being used for abortion.
House Bill 1210, introduced by state Rep. Eric Turner (R-Cicero) in January, takes a number of swipes at abortion rights and includes a provision that would prohibit the state of Indiana from contracting with "any entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed." While the provision does not name a specific health provider, it effectively singles out Planned Parenthood, which receives $3 million dollars a year from the state.
Planned Parenthood Indiana currently serves about 22,000 low income patients.
Opponents of the bill say costs for the state will go up if low income funding is cut off, due to increased pregnancy and the care provided for those cases. Republicans have decided that analogy is false. Additionally, since Federal Medicaid prevents states from provider discrimination, the passage of the bill could result in the restrictions of other funding to the state.
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