Nearly two dozen groups filed briefs at the US Supreme Court supporting a Planned Parenthood affiliate’s bid to keep its Medicaid provider status in South Carolina.
The groups’ Wednesday briefs backed Planned Parenthood South Atlantic’s argument that private individuals can sue government entities under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for depriving them of a right set out in the Medicaid Act. In particular, they said, South Carolina can’t lawfully strip Medicaid beneficiaries of their right to see the medical provider of their choice.
Medicaid is a joint state-federal program that ensures access to health care for low-income Americans. Section 1983 is ...