Kansas' administration is being sued by its two Planned Parenthood affiliates after its governor decided to end its Medicaid reimbursements to the organization. The letter to inform the cut off was sent to Planned Parenthood on Tuesday.
The affiliate organization filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, a day after they were notified by the state Department of Health and Environment, ABC News reported. It says the Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri and St. Louis region were terminated as providers under Medicaid.
According to the documents obtained, KDHE initially gave the affiliate a notice regarding the cut off on March. Last week, an administrative trial was held, which challenged Kansas over the said decision. Kansas and Mid-Missouri Planned Parenthood president and CEO, Laura McQuade said, the grounds to end the Medicaid funding are "bogus and unfounded."
"We never cease to be surprised by the extent to which the governor will use his office to abuse authority to further an extreme political agenda," McQuade stated. In January, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback promised to make sure that "not a single dollar of taxpayer money goes to Planned Parenthood" through the Medicaid program, Kansas City cited.
The Department of Health and Environment in Kansas has worked several months for the said termination. The department's reasons why they terminated the reimbursement include "noncompliance with applicable state laws" and "unethical or unprofessional conduct."
KCUR reported that it is one of the administration's moves following the anti-abortion activists' revelation of a footage that seemingly shows Planned Parenthood's involvement on illegal selling of fetal tissue. McQuade also "denounced" the administration's decision and accused Brownback of using health care "as a political football". Brownback is staunchly anti-abortion and has long opposed Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri has clinics in Overland Park and Wichita as well as clinics in the Missouri side of the Kansas City area. Medicaid funds for low-income and disabled recipients cover health exams, family planning services and cancer screenings, but Medicaid does not cover abortions.
