by Lori Kersey, West Virginia Watch
July 23, 2025

A Republican bill that temporarily restricts Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood will affect about one third of patients at its only West Virginia clinic, according to officials with the organization. 

The clinic — located in Vienna in Wood County — doesn’t offer abortion and hasn’t since long before West Virginia lawmakers mostly outlawed the procedure in 2022. 

Patients — a third of whom are on Medicaid — come to the clinic for birth control, cancer screenings, sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment, among other health services, said Anne Logan Bass, clinical director of family planning for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. 

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that President Donald Trump signed into law earlier this month prohibits Medicaid from being used at Planned Parenthood, even for preventive health care, for one year. The organization is the country’s top abortion provider, performing more than 400,000 in 2024, according to its annual report.

“We are devastated for our patients,” Bass said of the Medicaid prohibition. “It’s a really harmful law that’s preventing our patients from going to where they want to receive care. We are committed to maintaining access for care for as long as we can.”

The law targets abortion providers who made more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023. 

A spokeswoman for the West Virginia Department of Human Services, which oversees Medicaid, said the department is aware the law will affect the Vienna Planned Parenthood clinic and is seeking further clarification from the federal Centers for Medicare and Services about other clinics in the state that may be affected. The state expects further guidance once the legal process is over, Angelica Hightower, communications specialist for DHS, wrote in an email to West Virginia Watch.

The Women’s Health Center of West Virginia, located in Charleston, performed abortions until the state passed an abortion ban and is associated with the Women’s Health Center of Maryland, which still does. A spokeswoman for the Women’s Health Center of West Virginia said the law will not prohibit it from accepting Medicaid patients. 

The Medicaid prohibitions for Planned Parenthood took effect immediately after Trump signed the legislation into law. The national organization filed a lawsuit challenging the law. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston granted a temporary restraining order that kept the law from being effective for 14 days. 

After a hearing Friday, the judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking the government for now from cutting Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood agencies that either don’t provide abortion care or that don’t have at least $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements per year, according to reporting by the Associated Press. 

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which manages the West Virginia clinic, does not fall into the category of those that will keep receiving Medicaid funding, said Julia Walker, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. 

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic manages a total of 14 clinics in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Collectively, 13% of the patients of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic are Medicaid recipients, she said.

Planned Parenthood may close up to 200 clinics across the country because of the Medicaid prohibition. Bass said there are no current plans to close any of the clinics in the South Atlantic region.

West Virginia’s entire congressional delegation, all Republicans, voted for the budget reconciliation bill. In a statement after the vote, Rep. Riley Moore praised the legislation, saying it “fully defunds Planned Parenthood.” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito posted about her support of defunding Planned Parenthood on the social media platform X, reposting Wall Street Journal opinion writer Matthew Hennessy who said “The defunding of abortion giant Planned Parenthood is the most beautiful thing in the GOP megabill.”

“Couldn’t have said it better, @MattHennessey,” she wrote.

Bass said she worries about Medicaid patients at the Vienna clinic and elsewhere. 

She recalled a patient she met while working in the Vienna clinic about six months ago. The patient, who is on Medicaid, told Bass she doesn’t see any other health care providers besides the ones at Planned Parenthood. 

“That patient’s been coming here forever, since she was like 18 and coming to Planned Parenthood as her quote, ‘only doctor,’ Bass said. “I just really worry about what’s going to happen to these patients, where they’re going to receive care.”

She said the law is an example of Americans losing their freedoms. 

“You should have the freedom to decide what’s best for you, not the government,” Bass said. “… It’s true that Americans are losing their freedoms, and this law is just one example.”

While the provision of the law is in effect, Planned Parenthood is still reviewing the judge’s order, Walker said.

“While we do that, we are still seeing patients like normal — nothing has changed for our patients in West Virginia,” she said. 

West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.

The post Law blocks Planned Parenthood from Medicaid dollars, one third of WV patients affected appeared first on westvirginiawatch.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This article presents facts about a Republican-backed Medicaid restriction affecting Planned Parenthood in West Virginia, highlighting the negative impact on patients who rely on non-abortion health services. The inclusion of direct quotes from Planned Parenthood officials expressing concern and framing the law as harmful, along with the coverage of legal challenges, gives the piece a critical tone toward the Republican bill. While it reports statements from Republican lawmakers supporting the legislation, the overall framing and emphasis on patient hardship suggest a perspective sympathetic to Planned Parenthood and critical of the policy, consistent with a center-left bias.

SUMMARY: Christian Boler’s midweek forecast shows clear skies and mild temperatures, with Bluefield starting at 67°F and reaching highs in the mid-80s. While heat advisories exist in parts of the central U.S. and bordering counties, none currently affect the local area. Winds will be light, and the UV index is very high at 10, so sun protection is advised. The region will stay dry through Thursday, with rain chances increasing Friday through the weekend, peaking Sunday. Early next week, scattered afternoon and evening showers are expected. Residents should monitor heat-related symptoms and stay prepared for changing weather conditions.

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