Statement on Kansas’ Petition for Writ of Certiorari in Medicaid Case
For Immediate Release: March 22, 2018 (Updated: March 22, 2018, 10:41 p.m.)
“States may not terminate providers from their Medicaid program for any reason they see fit...”
On Thursday, March 22, the State of Kansas petitioned the United States Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari, asking for review of a recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. In February, the 10th Circuit upheld a district court’s preliminary injunction that prevented Kansas from terminating Planned Parenthood Great Plains (PPGP) from the state’s Medicaid program.
Dr. Brandon Hill, President and CEO of PPGP, issued the following statement in response:
“We are confident that the 10th Circuit’s decision was correct. The court was the fifth of six circuits to uphold a patient’s right to receive health care from their preferred qualified provider when it ruled that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) could not terminate PPGP from the state’s Medicaid program for extreme, politically-motivated reasons. Kansas should focus on increasing access to the basic health care services that we provide, not on stripping away that critical care from the most vulnerable Kansans. We are currently examining the state’s petition and reviewing all our legal options. The 10th Circuit’s ruling continues to stand, and PPGP’s doors will stay open as the provider of choice for many Kansans, including those covered by Medicaid. ”
UPDATE AS OF 3/22/2018 at 5:17pm
Rachel Sweet, Regional Director of Public Policy for PPGP, added the following in response to Governor Colyer’s press release this afternoon:
“Governor Colyer’s attempt to spin the 10th Circuit’s decision – which blocked the State from terminating PPGP from the Medicaid program – fell flat on its face. The 10th Circuit joined the majority of federal circuits that have addressed this issue in finding that Medicaid patients can select Planned Parenthood as their provider of choice. Five out of six circuits have now issued decisions in favor of Planned Parenthood, and the 8th Circuit is the only outlier. Second, Governor Colyer’s insistence on bringing up the discredited videos, the creators of which were charged with multiple felonies and that have no connection to PPGP, is proof of the political motivations of this sustained attack on basic health care. The 10th Circuit’s decision was correct and our doors will remain open to people with Medicaid.”