Federal judge OKs bid to expand Planned Parenthood case

LITTLE ROCK -- A federal judge Monday approved Planned Parenthood's request to expand its lawsuit challenging Arkansas' decision to cut off Medicaid funding to the group over videos secretly recorded by an anti-abortion group.

U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker granted Planned Parenthood of the Heartland's motion for class certification so the lawsuit will include any Medicaid patients receiving or seeking treatment from the organization. Planned Parenthood said it now plans to ask Baker to expand her October decision temporarily blocking the state from denying Medicaid funds for the three unnamed women suing the state.

"The court has brought plaintiffs one step closer to being able to protect the rights of the thousands of Arkansans who are still affected by Governor (Asa) Hutchinson's illegal efforts to block Medicaid patients from accessing health care at Planned Parenthood," Suzanna de Baca, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, said in a statement after the ruling.

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's office said she strongly disagreed with the court's ruling and was evaluating the next steps.

"It's unfortunate that women who need access to ethical and responsible health care providers are being used by Planned Parenthood in litigation designed to protect Planned Parenthood's bottom line," Rutledge spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.

Arkansas is among several states that have tried recently to cut off funds to Planned Parenthood. Republicans around the country have targeted Planned Parenthood after several videos were released by the anti-abortion Center for Medical Progress. The center said the videos showed that Planned Parenthood illegally sells fetal tissue for profit. Hutchinson, a Republican, in August ordered the state to cut off Medicaid funding to the group over the videos.

The state has said Planned Parenthood received $51,000 in Medicaid funds over the past fiscal year. None of the money paid for abortions. Planned Parenthood says it provided 1,000 health care visits and filled more than 1,100 prescriptions for more than 500 Medicaid patients at its Little Rock and Fayetteville health centers last year.

Planned Parenthood said the videos were heavily edited and denied seeking any payments beyond legally permitted reimbursement of costs. The organization, in an effort to squelch the controversy, announced last year it would no longer accept reimbursement for the cost of providing the tissue to researchers.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland did not appear in any of the videos and doesn't participate in any fetal tissue donation, its attorneys have said.

State Desk on 01/26/2016

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