Planned Parenthood is asking a federal judge to prevent Arkansas from blocking Medicaid funds for women who seek services at its health centers in the state.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland on Thursday asked U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker to expand her October decision temporarily preventing the state from denying Medicaid funds for three unnamed women suing the state. Baker in January approved the organization's request that its lawsuit include any Medicaid patients receiving or seeking treatment from the organization.
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson in August announced he was terminating the organization's Medicaid contract after secretly recorded videos were released by an anti-abortion group that said the videos showed Planned Parenthood illegally sells fetal tissue for profit.
Planned Parenthood denied seeking payments beyond legally permitted reimbursement of costs.
