Planned Parenthood of Indiana Continues Fight Against New State Law

Planned Parenthood of Indiana will be in court soon to try to have a law that strips the organization of public funding overturned.A previous attempt to have the law stopped was rejected shortly after Governor Mitch Daniels signed the legislation. Organization president Betty Cockrum says if the court case doesn't work, she thinks the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services could step in. She says it's possible the agency could withdraw about $4 million of federal family planning Medicaid funds from Indiana if the law remains on the books."There was further suggestion that it could put the entire Medicaid budget in Indiana at risk if they chose to sanction the state to that degree. And so what has now happened is that Secretary Sebelius has been looking at it."Cockrum says that could make state officials rethink the measure."I think if there was strong language suggesting that the entire Medicaid budget was put at risk, one wants to believe that wouldn't take a whole lot of analysis and thought."A ruling on the court case is expected by July 1^st. Planned Parenthood serves about 9,300 Medicaid patients in Indiana. Through donations, those patients will receive care through June 15^th