Facing federal cuts to Medicaid, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England wants Governor Janet Mills to use state dollars to fill any funding gaps.
The federal budget signed into law last week prohibits Medicaid funds for reproductive health care providers that also offer abortions. That's a $1 million loss for Planned Parenthood in Maine, on top of a $400,000 loss due to the Trump administration withholding Title X funds.
The Medicaid funding ban is currently blocked by a temporary federal court injunction. But if legal challenges fail, Planned Parenthood Parenthood of Northern New England president and CEO Nicole Clegg hopes that Medicaid patients in Maine will be covered with state funds.
"Governor Mills has made it clear in terms of her strong support," Clegg said. "She's not just somebody who says that she cares about this issue, she actually does something about it. And we are hopeful that will continue to be the case."
A spokesperson for Governor Mills said the Administration "is anticipating that there will be many requests for the State to cover the significant loss of Federal funding, and the Governor has warned that the State does not have the financial resources to absorb all of these costs." But they say the Administration will work with state lawmakers to consider what, if any, resources are available.
The Maine legislature recently allocated $6 million to family planning providers across the state.
