Asa Hutchinson (R) directed his state Department of Human Services to terminate its Medicaid contract with Planned Parenthood, effective 30 days from a letter dated Friday, August 14, 2015, states a press release from the governor’s office.
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John DiPippa, former dean of the UALR Bowen School of Law, said the state could be violating federal law by pulling federally-received Medicaid dollars from Planned Parenthood’s two locations in Little Rock and Fayetteville.
The Republican governor on Friday announced the state was terminating its Medicaid provider contract with Planned Parenthood.
State Sen. Danny Carroll (R-Paducah) has added his voice to the call for an end to Planned Parenthood funding in Kentucky.
The Arkansas contracts involved services including nurse practitioners, pharmacy and family planning and were delivered through the Arkansas Medicaid program.
Carroll, like other House Republicans, said the source of the funds is irrelevant and that no money should go toward Planned Parenthood.
Under federal law, it is unlawful for anyone to “knowingly acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any human fetal tissue for valuable consideration if the transfer affects interstate commerce”.
After reading a few recent editorials regarding Planned Parenthood, I looked at the group’s website and its 2013-14 annual report. In an appearance on The O’Reilly Factor, Carson also said that Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger had written about eugenics and “was not enamored of black people”.
For nearly 100 years, Planned Parenthood has been assisting in the health needs of women including abortions and has been providing medical services for reproductive issues.
In another video, the president of Planned Parenthood’s Medical Director’s Council haggles over compensation for fetal tissue procured through abortions.
Carson said that amid all the emotion on abortion and Planned Parenthood, Americans should investigate the organization and its history for themselves.
The governor’s action came after a conservative anti-abortion group released video and transcripts of conversations with Planned Parenthood executives, doctors and staff members in other states.
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Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was the first to cut off funding from the organization, and Mike Reed, Jindal’s spokesman said both the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) and the state of Louisiana would uphold their decision regardless of what federal officials say. So defunding Planned Parenthood would just make it harder for poor women to get medical services, by forcing them to look elsewhere for their care. Now, StemExpress claims it is terminating its “business relationship” with Planned Parenthood.
