Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid patients could soon lose their right to choose the clinic as their preferred healthcare provider — and it could have "devastating consequences" on millions of Floridians, according to the nonprofit.
That is one of the changes proposed in President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending package — dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill" — which narrowly passed the U.S. House last month.
If the Senate approves the bill, it would bring changes to several areas, including tax cuts, raising the debt ceiling, increasing border and military spending, as well as cutting Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding by adding new work requirements.
The bill would also prohibit Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood. The nonprofit organization provides wellness exams, cancer screenings and is primarily known for its sexual and reproductive health care services. It is often targeted by anti-abortion campaigners.
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Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, says millions of people across the country would be affected.
“We are talking about, especially in Florida, children in low-income families, people in nursing homes and persons with disabilities — really just creating chaos in the fabric of our healthcare coverage system, which will have impacts on overall coverage," she told WLRN.
Goodhue said the change could lead to a crisis in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and other issues facing young people, since many rely on their testing, treatment and family planning services.
"So you're really making it almost impossible, especially for young women and men, to protect themselves," she added.
Goodhue recently spoke to WLRN about the effect the “One Big Beautiful Bill” would have on Planned Parenthood clinics in Florida.
The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
WLRN: What's your response to this legislation?
GOODHUE: This would have devastating consequences, not only on the healthcare coverage for millions of Floridians, millions of people across the country. And to be clear, we are talking about, especially in Florida, children in low-income families, people in nursing homes, and persons with disabilities — really just creating chaos to the fabric of our healthcare coverage system, which will have impacts on the overall coverage.
In addition, Congress is proposing to prohibit people with Medicaid coverage from going to Planned Parenthood as their chosen provider. So, this would have a devastating impact on Planned Parenthood affiliates and the patients that rely on us.
And if the bill becomes law, what would be the immediate impact on Planned Parenthood clinics in the state of Florida?
So in Florida, we would continue striving to be here for our patients. Due to the fact that Florida has not expanded Medicaid and the eligibility requirements are already really strict, it wouldn't have as big of an impact on our providers, but still thousands of people who come to Planned Parenthood for those wellness visits, for things like testing and treatment for STDs — especially young people who are increasingly susceptible to infectious disease.
We know for a fact that public health departments aren't able to take that overload. And so you could see a crisis of spreading diseases that are so easily treatable and preventable.
So the impact is not necessarily solely on the provider, but also on the patient. And again, we are talking about people who are in very difficult circumstances. If you think about it, in Florida, contraception already is difficult. It could be expensive, especially for younger people. And it's already hard to get an abortion in Florida because of all of the restrictions, and we don't have sex ed in our classrooms anymore.
So you're really making it almost impossible, especially for young women and men, to protect themselves. That's really the impact—is on the thousands of patients that see us.
Will Planned Parenthood providers take a hit? Yes, we will. Across the country, more than half of Planned Parenthood patients do use Medicaid. Not as much in Florida, but it'll still be a big impact on certain patients.
What patients do you believe are most at risk if this bill passes?
These are primarily young people who have been disenfranchised out of the healthcare system as it is. They may be in that hole where they're not eligible for subsidies in the market, in the Affordable Care Act marketplace, but also not low-income enough to receive Medicaid in Florida.
How essential would you say Planned Parenthood is in rural or medically underserved areas, and how would that impact those areas?
The majority of Planned Parenthood health centers are in medically underserved communities. Especially when there's a shortage of OB-GYNs, for example, and a lot of people can't access private care.
Planned Parenthood fills that necessary gap. We know that it's crucial for family planning, for people who need wellness exams — anything from a urinary tract infection to screening for cancer cells. We are there in the community. We're making sure that we're conducting outreach, we're providing education along with the direct services, and making sure that people can afford that care as well.
