Congressman Dan Goldman Urges Supreme Court to Protect Access to Reproductive Health Care

  

Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Congresswoman Diana Degette (CO-01), and 235 of their Democratic colleagues in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of protecting the right of millions of Americans to receive reproductive health care from the provider of their choosing. The case, Medina v. Planned Parenthood of South Atlantic, challenges South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster’s attempt to block in-state Medicaid program beneficiaries from accessing reproductive health care at the Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT) affiliate’s health centers. 

 

The case concerns whether individuals can privately enforce the “free-choice-of-provider provision” in the Medicaid statute, which gives Medicaid beneficiaries the right to choose among any qualified health care provider that agrees to participate in Medicaid. A loss at the Supreme Court would pave the way for states to arbitrarily exclude Planned Parenthood from the Medicaid program and deny tens of millions of Americans the ability to receive comprehensive, essential reproductive health care from the provider of their choosing. 

 

“Congress enacted the free-choice-of-provider provision nearly sixty years ago to ensure that Medicaid beneficiaries would have the right to select among healthcare providers. The right to select one’s own healthcare provider has been a core promise of the program ever since. And for decades, Congress has approved of—indeed, relied on—private enforcement in federal court as a critical means of protecting that right,” the Members wrote.  

 

As a qualified health care provider covered by Medicaid, Planned Parenthood serves millions of patients nationwide with a broad range of essential health services.  Close to 70% of Planned Parenthood’s health centers are located in communities with a shortage of primary care services and unmet health care needs. A loss at the Supreme Court would pave the way for states to arbitrarily exclude Planned Parenthood from the Medicaid program and deny tens of millions of Americans the ability to receive comprehensive, essential reproductive health care from the provider of their choosing. 

 

“Congress intentionally established Medicaid beneficiaries’ right to receive health care services from the provider of their choice when it enacted the free-choice-of-provider provision nearly sixty years ago. That promise to Medicaid beneficiaries should be honored,” the Members concluded. 

 

Congressman Dan Goldman is committed to protecting women’s access to reproductive services and expanding Medicaid. 

 

This Spring, Congressman Goldman re-introduced the 'Abortion Care Awareness Act,' which would increase access to medically accurate information about abortion, including medication abortion. Additionally, this bill would ensure people have access to accurate information about where and how to obtain abortion services across the country, how to avoid anti-abortion centers intended to deceive patients, and how to identify misinformation about abortion care.  

 

In March of 2023, the Congressman cosponsored the ‘Women’s Health Protection Act,’ which establishes a federal right for healthcare professionals to provide abortion care and the right for their patients to receive care, free from bans and medically unnecessary restrictions that single out abortion care. The ‘Women’s Health Protection Act’ codifies and expands upon the rights established in Roe v. Wade. 

 

Congressman Goldman is a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus.