Ohio bill would ban Medicaid funding of Planned Parenthood services

After President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress blocked money for Planned Parenthood, Ohio lawmakers are following suit (Source: “Ohio bill mirrors federal push to ax Planned Parenthood's Medicaid dollars,” Cincinnati Enquirer, Aug. 14).
 
House Bill 410, introduced by Reps. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) and Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon), would mirror the one-year federal ban on Medicaid paying for health care offered by abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood. Federal and state law already prohibit Medicaid, a taxpayer-funded health insurance for low-income Ohioans, from paying for nearly all abortions.
 
The federal cut, included in the recently passed federal tax and spending bill, would prevent Planned Parenthood from billing Medicaid for contraception, sexually transmitted infection testing, gender-affirming care and preventative care visits. A federal judge has temporarily blocked that funding cut and ruled it is likely unconstitutional.