Abortion-related lawsuits are predictably flying after the new law closed the Medicare reimbursement spigot for abortion giant Planned Parenthood, and other abortion providers, for one year.
Nick Adolphsen, of Christian Civic League of Maine, tells AFN he isn’t feeling sympathetic after learning an abortion business in his state, Maine Family Planning, is also suing.
"If this is a conversation about health care access, Planned Parenthood and [Maine] Family Planning don't even need to be part of the conversation," he says.
A more sympathetic Associated Press story about Maine Family Planning said the business operates 18 clinics across Maine, known for being rural and among the poorest in the Northeast. The clinics saw about 7,200 patients in 2024, including 654 women who obtained an abortion.
Maine Family Planning received about $1.9 million annual in Medicaid reimbursements, which accounts for one-fourth of its budget, the AP story said.
Pointing out that rural hospitals in Maine are struggling, Adolphsen says there needs to be a “conversation” about the people enrolled in Medicaid, since the federal program reimburses hospitals and clinics at a loss.
"We've propped up a payment system that doesn't pay enough,” Adolphsen says, “instead of strengthening our health insurance industry or making some of the health care access more affordable for people.”
