Gov. Bobby Jindal is not giving up the fight to defund Planned Parenthood in Louisiana—but the abortion industry giant is pushing back again.
According to the Department of Health and Hospitals, the Jindal administration is attempting to terminate Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid contract for breaking administrative rules.
“During the course of the state investigation into Planned Parenthood, it was discovered that Planned Parenthood is in violation of long-standing administrative rules applicable to Medicaid providers,” says the health department spokeswoman Olivia Watkins Hwang.
In August 2013, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast and the Texas U.S. attorney’s office announced a $4.3 million civil settlement over allegations that Planned Parenthood had billed “government programs for services that weren’t medically necessary or that weren’t provided.” Although Planned Parenthood never admitted being guilty of the allegations, Hwang says that Louisiana regulations “consider such a settlement agreement in violation of state Medicaid provider rules.”
And—big surprise—President Obama has ordered the Department of Justice to rush to Planned Parenthood’s aid, saying that Jindal’s administration hadn’t met the criteria in federal law for removing a Medicaid provider. The DOJ and Planned Parenthood claim that Louisiana is only pushing this hard to defund Planned Parenthood since the release of undercover videos of Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of aborted baby parts.
Jindal’s upward battle against Planned Parenthood continues…
Anna Pfaff works for American Principles in Action.
