BATON ROUGE (AP) — Medicaid payments will stop flowing to Planned Parenthood's clinics in New Orleans and Baton Rouge unless a federal judge intervenes to block Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration.
U.S. District Judge John deGravelles holds a hearing Wednesday on Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast's request for a temporary restraining order against the Jindal administration effort.
Planned Parenthood sued after Jindal, a Republican presidential candidate, announced he was cutting off the funding. The governor cited hidden-camera videos by an anti-abortion group.
Planned Parenthood says Jindal's decision will limit health services in violation of federal law.
The Jindal administration says its authority rests in a provision in state law that allows cancellation of a Medicaid provider agreement with 30-day notice. But the U.S. Justice Department says Louisiana hasn't met the criteria for ousting a Medicaid provider.
– by AP Reporter Melinda Deslatte
