Planned Parenthood Faces $1.8 Billion Medicaid Fraud Lawsuit

Source: New York Times

AUSTIN, TX — A $1.8 billion lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, brought by an anonymous whistleblower and Texas, according to Catholic News Agency. The whistleblower alleges the organization illegally claimed Medicaid funds. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday in Doe v. Planned Parenthood.

The case stems from 2015, when undercover videos exposed Planned Parenthood’s alleged sale of fetal tissue, prompting Texas and Louisiana to revoke its Medicaid eligibility. Despite court delays, Planned Parenthood continued Medicaid claims until a 2020 ruling favored the states. The whistleblower’s 2021 lawsuit, filed under the False Claims Act, seeks triple damages and penalties for fraudulent claims, as ineligible funds must be repaid, even if initially court-protected, per Jennie Bradley Lichter of March for Life.

Planned Parenthood’s counsel, Susan Manning, dismissed the lawsuit as an attack to shut down the organization and deny reproductive care. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s Katie Glenn Daniel argued Planned Parenthood had no right to the funds, citing its disregard for human life. Amid recent federal funding cuts and reported negligence, over 40 Planned Parenthood locations are closing this year.

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