2 million Arizonans could be impacted by a US Supreme Court ruling for South Carolina

Arizonans who receive health care through Medicaid could soon lose access to services at Planned Parenthood and other clinics that offer abortion services, after a US Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for states to block Medicaid payments to such providers.

Although Arizona’s 2012 law denying Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood has been blocked for years, this new decision could allow state officials to enforce it—putting coverage for family planning, STI treatments, cancer screenings, and other care at risk for millions.

Even though Medicaid already does not cover abortions, the Supreme Court’s June 26 ruling on Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic allows South Carolina to block Medicaid funding for any clinics or health care providers that simply provide abortion care at all.

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The ruling was not specifically about abortion, but about whether lawmakers are legally allowed to deny health care organizations Medicaid payments if they also provide abortions.

The decision provides a template for conservative leaders in other states to block Medicaid coverage from health care providers they personally disagree with.

That could affect the nearly 2 million Arizonans who are enrolled in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state’s Medicaid agency. Many of these Arizonans rely on health care centers that offer a wide array of services for their preventative and primary care needs.

“Today, the Supreme Court once again sided with politicians who believe they know better than you,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. “And the consequences are not theoretical in South Carolina or other states with hostile legislation.”

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Arizona’s state government passed a law in 2012 preventing Planned Parenthood from getting Medicaid funding for any of the services it provides, including family planning, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, or breast exams, because the clinic also provides abortions.

However, Planned Parenthood sued the state after the law was passed, and a federal judge blocked enforcement of the law—but the law was never taken off the books.

Federal law already generally bans the use of Medicaid funding for abortions, but the SCOTUS decision actively encourages conservative state officials to defund Planned Parenthood or any other clinic that might provide abortions.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, is unlikely to enforce or attempt to reinstate the 2012 law. She has repeatedly said she won’t defend any Arizona laws that affect the right of women to have an abortion.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, also Democrat, is also unlikely to sign any legislation that would strip additional funding from Planned Parenthood or restrict the clinic’s ability to provide care for patients.

Hobbs and Mayes, as well as the entire Arizona House of Representative and Arizona Senate, are up for reelection in 2026.