Planned Parenthood reopens to Medicaid patients in NM

With the end of a temporary court order allowing Planned Parenthood to once again treat Medicaid patients looming, the provider is trying to see as many patients in New Mexico as possible before the Monday deadline, officials said.

Though officials are optimistic the injunction will be extended by a federal judge, the future for a third of their patients in New Mexico is up in the air.

Before the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law, barring Planned Parenthood from billing Medicaid, 34% of patients at the provider were covered by the federal assistance program in New Mexico. Statewide, 38.5% of New Mexicans were enrolled in Medicaid as of May.

President Trump, who in 1999 described himself as “very pro-choice” in an interview, ran in 2020 on a platform of defunding Planned Parenthood while shying away from calling for a nationwide abortion ban. In his first term, Trump said he supported Planned Parenthood’s other services, but tried to pressure the group to stop providing abortions. They have not obliged and in the law, their federal funding was stripped.

In the week after the bill’s passage, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains had to cancel nearly 1,000 appointments made by Medicaid patients in New Mexico and Colorado, PPRM CEO Adrienne Mansanares said in an interview Friday.

Judge Indira Talwani granted an injunction July 7 after Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit in federal District Court in Massachusetts alleging that the new law was unconstitutional and discriminatory.

Because of the window of opportunity the injunction created, Planned Parenthood is contacting Medicaid patients with cancelled or later appointments and encouraging them to reschedule for as soon as possible. PPRM is also recommending patients request any services they might need for the foreseeable future during their appointments, whether that’s a monthslong supply of birth control pills, IUD insertion or a preventative cancer screening.

“We want to make sure everyone gets the health care that they deserve, especially if this is just temporary,” Mansanares said.

Due to a slew of cancellations forced by the new law, providers’ typically packed schedules are now riddled with holes, allowing patients to be seen more quickly, officials said. PPRM got the go ahead from state Medicaid officials Wednesday and are now scheduling patients. If the court doesn’t extend the injunction, many more appointments may be canceled.

According to Mansanares, this new law is just the latest effort in a long history of attempts to outlaw abortion, discourage sexual health services and stop gender-affirming care.

For nearly 50 years, it has been illegal to use federal money to pay for abortion services, thanks to the Hyde Amendment. There are few exceptions to the rule, including conception due to rape or incest or mortal danger to the woman.

Now, a provision of the Big Beautiful Bill has also cut off access to a panoply of sexual health services through Planned Parenthood, including testing and treatment for STIs, pregnancy tests, and contraception.

In a January executive order, the White House said that American taxpayers were “forced to pay” for abortion services, despite the amendment, through other federal funding sources funneled into sexual health clinics like Planned Parenthood.

“It’s very clear that it’s illegal to use federal dollars for abortion care, and we follow the law,” Mansanares said. “...This is really about defunding Planned Parenthood. I mean, this has been attempted over and over again for decades, and these out of touch Republicans in Congress have won, and they have a president who signed it.”

In 2024, Planned Parenthood received $792.2 million in federal funding, including grants and reimbursements, amounting to 39% of its budget, according to a fiscal report.

Though Planned Parenthood performs abortions, the procedure amounts to a markedly small percent of their provided services at 4%. More than half of patients at Planned Parenthood are there to receive STI testing and treatment, according to an annual national report. Nearly a quarter of patients turn to Planned Parenthood for contraception and 10% of patients are there for miscellaneous services such as primary care appointments or adoption referrals.

“Planned Parenthood plays a very critical role in the ecosystem of reproductive and sexual health care — but we’re not alone,” Mansanares said. “The need is too great, and the work is very complex.”

Outside of federal funds, a mesh of state money and mutual aid cover the most vulnerable in New Mexico.

Since 1999, New Mexico has been one of 17 states that uses state funds to pay for abortions for Medicaid enrollees, covering a gap left by the Hyde Amendment. Still, a local sexual health advocacy group said the state government isn’t doing enough in the light of federal cuts.

Indigenous Women Rising is a mutual aid and advocacy group based out of Albuquerque that runs an abortion fund for Native Americans. In New Mexico, 60% of Native people are covered by Medicaid, according to New Mexico Health Care Authority.

Indigenous people face higher barriers and costs in pursuing sexual health treatment, said spokesperson Marcus Trujillo. The Indian Health Service does not perform abortions and many clinics on reservations don’t always provide the sexual health services people need, Trujillo said, causing patients to travel, at times, hundreds of miles for care.

“We remind (the state) that this is about making sure that our Native communities and marginalized communities as a whole are not left out or forced to rely on patchwork care,” Trujillo said. “Mutual aid continues to show up for our communities, regardless of what our courts decide.”

Gillian Barkhurst is a reporter for the Albuquerque Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com or on Twitter @G_Barkhurst.