Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin to Pause Abortion Services Following Medicaid Cuts

Starting Oct. 1, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin plans to stop offering abortions in the state — at least temporarily. In a statement, Planned Parenthood cited Medicaid cuts under President Donald Trump’s recently signed tax and spending law. The group said it would “pause” abortion appointments in Wisconsin “while we work on a solution to providing abortion care in Wisconsin.”

The Impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

For decades, a federal law called the Hyde Amendment has prohibited using federal money to pay for almost all abortions. But the federal budget law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act went further than that. It classifies a nonprofit that provides abortions as a “prohibited entity,” if that nonprofit got more than $800,000 from Medicaid in fiscal year 2023. That applies to Planned Parenthood. Under the law, a “prohibited entity” like Planned Parenthood is barred from getting Medicaid reimbursements for any type of reproductive health service, not just abortion.

“The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress passed a law specifically targeting Planned Parenthood to eliminate reproductive health services and abortion access across this country,” Nicole Safar, a senior advisor at Planned Parenthood Wisconsin, said in an interview with WPR. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin gets roughly $24 million a year from Medicaid, making up close to two-thirds of the organization’s budget, Safar said.

Continued Operations and Available Services

Planned Parenthood will remain open for other reproductive services. Safar emphasized that those 22 centers will remain open throughout the state, even after Oct. 1. According to Safar, those clinics will continue offering reproductive health services, such as:

• contraceptives
• cervical cancer screenings
• vasectomies
• pregnancy tests
• sexually transmitted infection testing
• postpartum care and referrals

Planned Parenthood has been providing abortions at three Wisconsin clinics, located in Milwaukee, Madison and Sheboygan. Those clinics will remain open after Oct. 1 for services other than abortions. “Ongoing litigation may once again change what we are allowed to do, and we are closely monitoring the courts and preparing to act the moment we are able to resume care,” Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin spokesperson Stephanie Miller wrote in an email.

Independent Abortion Providers in Milwaukee

There are also two independent abortion clinics in Wisconsin. Both of those clinics — Care for All and Affiliated Medical Services — are in Milwaukee, and are run by smaller organizations. Here is the status of abortion access at these locations:

• Care for All: This organization does not get any Medicaid dollars, and will continue to provide abortions, the group’s executive director confirmed.
• Affiliated Medical Services: This clinic will also keep providing abortions as it is unaffected by the Medicaid changes, an Affiliated Medical Services representative confirmed.

Once it pauses abortions, Safar said Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin will be referring people to Care for All and Affiliated Medical Services.