The Supreme Court has decided not to hear a case seeking to overturn a ruling by a lower court that prohibited the state of Indiana from denying Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood because the nonprofit provides abortions, according to Reuters.
Federal and state laws already prohibit the use of government funds to perform abortions. What the Indiana law attempted to do was to prevent federal funds from being given to groups who provide abortions, such as Planned Parenthood, despite federal money being used only for other medical programs such as cancer and HIV screenings, Reuters reports.
Supporters of the law made the argument that any federal money received by Planned Parenthood would be subsidizing the abortions regardless of where the money was spent, according to CBS News.
The U.S. Court of Appeals of the Seventh Circuit in Chicago struck down the law because it deemed that the ban on Medicaid funds was not related to Planned Parenthood's ability to perform medical services, according to USA Today.
By choosing to not hear the case the Supreme Court leaves the judgment of the appellate court in place. The case will return to federal court in Indianapolis to decide if the temporary injunction blocking the law should become permanent, reports CBS News.
"We are happy that the Supreme Court's action lets stand the Appeals Court ruling that the State does not have plenary authority to exclude a class of providers for any reason," read a statement by the executive director of the ACLU of Indiana, Jane Henegar. "Federal law protects the right of Medicaid patients to choose a health care provider free of interference from the State."
The decision was seen as a victory for Planned Parenthood. Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, released a statement after the decision.
"While the state has been trying to score political points and wasting taxpayer dollars, we've been standing up for the Hoosiers who have been counting on us every day," Cockrum's statement read. "We look forward to the day the preliminary injunction in this case becomes permanent."
Similar laws have been defeated in North Carolina, Kansas, Tennessee and Arizona, according to USA Today. Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, told USA Today that any law similar to the Indiana law will meet the same fate.
"Politicians in all 50 states should take note," Richards said. "Blocking Planned Parenthood from funding to provide preventative health care is both unlawful and deeply unpopular."
