As the Trump Administration puts into effect more budget cuts, many organizations from across the country continue to fight against it. One of them is Maine Family Planning, which plans to sue the administration for the Big Beautiful Bill’s Medicaid restrictions.
The Big Beautiful Bill stops nonprofit reproductive healthcare centers from accepting Medicaid. Although the Big Beautiful Bill intended to primarily defund Planned Parenthood, the largest reproductive care organization in the country, Maine Family Planning was also caught in the crossfire. Maine Family Planning relies on Medicaid dollars to sustain its 18 reproductive care clinics. Both Maine Family Planning and Planned Parenthood have now fought to sue in two separate cases.
On Wednesday, according to the Civil Rights Litigation Clearing House, MFP filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Secretary, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and its Administrator. They are challenging the “termination of its eligibility to receive Medicaid reimbursements for all of its services”, based on the fact that MFP does not only offer abortion care.
What is Maine Family Planning?
Maine Family Planning is the largest reproductive care organization in the state, with 18 clinics. They provide various services, including but not limited to emergency abortions, cancer screenings, and gender affirming healthcare. According to AP News, in 2024, Maine Family Planning had about 7,200 family planning patients, plus another 645 who obtained abortions. However, they were one of many who were affected by one of Big Beautiful Bill’s Medicaid provisions.
Part of Maine Family Planning’s mission is to “ensure that all people have access to high-quality, culturally relevant and affordable sexual and reproductive health care services”. About half of those who go to Family Planning rely on Medicaid to be able to afford their many services, which go beyond just abortions. Many patients take advantage of Family Planning’s cancer screenings, STI Testing, and wellness exams. Now, most low-income individuals in the state will not be able to afford them.
Who in Maine Would be Affected?
Maine is one of the poorest and most rural states in the Northeast. Maine Family Planning made many services available to rural residents, who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to receive their care due to both cost and location. There aren’t already many reproductive care clinics in Maine’s rural areas, and for those that do exist, they do not accept Medicaid. Medicaid is all that some patients have to be able to afford reproductive care services, as well as cancer screenings, family planning, and more.
If Maine Family Planning is no longer able to accept Medicaid after October 31st, the proposed deadline, the organization will have to turn about half of its patients away. They will also most likely have to close some of their clinics across the state, as the lost Medicaid dollars (over $1 million) will negatively affect their operating costs.
Although the Trump Administration aims to limit access to safe abortions with their Big Beautiful Bill, people’s healthcare beyond abortions is being put at risk. All genders, regardless of their need for abortion, will no longer be able to have various services that keep their overall health in good condition.
When organizations like Maine Family Planning, which offer many services beyond abortion, are forced to both shut Medicaid patients out and close their doors because of it, it doesn’t stop abortions. It increases the risk of those that are dangerous and done alone, which risks the woman’s health. It stops people from all genders and sexual identities, regardless of income, from not receiving preventative care for life-ending cancers or STIs. It stops people from rural areas from receiving care that could be needed immediately.
Maine Family Planning is not only fighting for the right to abortion in their lawsuit. They are fighting for the health of all individuals who benefit from primary and preventative care from their organization, who may not be able to afford it otherwise without Medicaid.