State Health Dept. Takes New Path To Block Planned Parenthood

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration is taking a different approach to ousting Planned Parenthood from Louisiana's Medicaid program, a move the administration says nullifies a federal lawsuit filed by the organization.

Initially, the state health department terminated the Medicaid provider agreements with Planned Parenthood's clinics without providing a reason. The department cited a state law allowing cancellation with 30-day notice.

But that reasoning ran into strong questioning from a federal judge, who was considering a restraining order request from Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.

Since then, the Jindal administration changed its plans and announced it will block Planned Parenthood's clinics from the Medicaid program "for cause."

The health department Friday cited Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast's $4.3 million settlement of false claims allegations in Texas as reason to kill its Louisiana Medicaid contract.