In a court filing Wednesday, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals agreed not to stop Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood’s clinics in Baton Rouge and New Orleans until Sept. 15, while a federal judge considers the temporary restraining order request from the organization.
The Associated Press reports U.S. District Judge John deGravelles seemed skeptical during a hearing Wednesday about the justification that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s health secretary, Kathy Kliebert, is using to terminate the Medicaid provider agreements Louisiana has with Planned Parenthood’s clinics in the state.
deGravelles questioned why Jindal’s administration removed Planned Parenthood from Louisiana’s Medicaid program if its clinics are competent to provide health care services. Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast and three of its patients sued Kliebert, claiming the Jindal administration is violating federal Medicaid law. The lawsuit asks deGravelles to block the governor’s efforts.
In a court hearing, deGravelles asked Kliebert’s lawyer Stephen Russo if it seemed “fundamentally wrong” to disrupt patient care when the facilities haven’t proven inadequate, “for no reason related to the health care they’re getting.”
Russo said the Jindal administration is relying on a state law that allows cancellation of a Medicaid provider agreement with 30-day notice.
“You’re telling me Secretary Kliebert’s reasoning for doing that is ‘We can do it?'” deGravelles asked.
Russo replied: “She has chosen to terminate that contract.”
JIndal announced last month that he intended to oust Planned Parenthood from the Medicaid program. Planned Parenthood doesn’t currently provide abortions in Louisiana, but offers cancer screenings, gynecology exams, sexually transmitted disease treatment and other health services.
