Maine abortion business drops legal challenge to Medicaid defunding

Maine Family Planning, one of the state's primary abortion businesses, has filed a motion to drop its lawsuit challenging its federal Medicaid defunding.

Key Takeaways:

• Maine Family Planning, which operates 18 facilities in the state of Maine and commits elective abortions, had previously filed a lawsuit challenging its federal Medicaid defunding under a provision in the Big Beautiful Bill.

• A federal judge ruled against the abortion business in August, and it filed an appeal with the First Circuit in September.

• Last week, Maine Family Planning filed a motion to dismiss its appeal, dropping the lawsuit altogether.

The Backstory:

Maine Family Planning is an abortion business with 18 facilities in the state. In July, it filed a lawsuit against a provision in the government reconciliation bill that prevents businesses that commit elective abortions from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements. The lawsuit claimed that the provision would shut down Maine Family Planning centers, resulting in the inability for people to access healthcare.

In August, Federal Judge Lance Walker of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine ruled against that lawsuit, saying it was within the right of the federal government to deny the Medicaid funding in order to "disassociate from conduct that is not enshrined as a constitutional right." In his ruling, Walker noted that the abortion business could continue to receive Medicaid funding if it stopped committing abortions — but since it "stood firm in its mission," it could therefore not claim irreparable harm.

Following Walker's ruling, Maine Family Planning lamented that it would lose up to $1.9 million in federal funding, and therefore have to close some of its doors. In September, the state of Maine promised to give $6 million in taxpayer funding to Maine Family Planning and Planned Parenthood facilities in the state, but Maine Family Planning claimed that money came too late, and it would still shut down some of its primary care services while continuing to commit abortions.

In September, it filed an appeal with the First Circuit Court of Appeals, hoping to reverse Walker's decision and restore Medicaid funding. However, that court issued a ruling in early December in a separate but similar lawsuit from Planned Parenthood, in which it upheld the ability of the federal government to withhold Medicaid funds over abortion. The writing was on the wall that the court would also rule against Maine Family Planning.

The Details:

On December 18, Maine Family Planning filed a motion in the U.S. District Court of Maine as well as the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the courts to dismiss the lawsuit and appeal.

“As the Trump administration has dismantled the nation’s health care system, we have remained focused on delivering high quality care to our patients, particularly those across rural Maine," CEO George Hill said in a statement. “Though our lawsuit will not continue, we are not wavering in our commitment to our patients and to advocating for the health care system that Mainers need and deserve.”

The Bottom Line:

The ACLJ, which filed an amicus brief in the case, has called the ruling "a significant victory for the pro-life movement and constitutional governance."

"For too long, American taxpayers have been forced to subsidize an industry that destroys hundreds of thousands of innocent lives each year," it noted.

"Maine Family Planning’s dismissal, following immediately on the heels of the First Circuit’s definitive ruling against Planned Parenthood, sends a powerful message throughout the abortion industry: The era of guaranteed taxpayer subsidies is ending."