With the possible funding cuts from Texas, Planned Parenthood is bringing the matters to court.
Planned Parenthood, along with other concerned and relevant stakeholders like women's groups and health providers, has filed a lawsuit in Austin's federal court after the state has threatened to reduce the funding for the group through Medicare.
The state, which is largely controlled by the Republican, has announced the potential cuts on October and may take effect as early as December 8.
According to the lawsuit, the primary reason for the reduced funding is the series of videos released a few months ago that alleged how the group is harvesting and selling fetal tissues to private companies like research labs. The videos came from Center for Medical Progress, a pro-life group. Different Planned Parenthood personalities were implicated in the videos that were leaked over a period of several days.
Planned Parenthood has already denied the contents of the video, claiming that they had been heavily edited. They have also decided to no longer accept any reimbursement for the fetal tissues. Meanwhile, the Center for Medical Progress, including its leader David Daleiden, is facing lawsuits headed by National Abortion Federation.
The lawsuit further said that what the state has been doing is simply politicking and not related to health care. In a teleconference the group organized with the reporters, the Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards considers the move as not only illegal but also a direct violation of the federal law. It will also severely impact more than 13,000 women who depend on their reproductive health services.
The organization currently receives around $500 million of federal funds each year, mainly due to Medicaid reimbursements.
Texas, however, isn't the only state that is threatening Planned Parenthood. Oklahoma has already requested its health care authority to cut contracts with two affiliates of the organization, citing billing errors.
