Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla joined 62 local governments and elected officials in signing an amicus brief in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, urging the United States Supreme Court to uphold Medicaid patients’ right to choose their healthcare providers. The brief fights for reproductive rights and equitable healthcare access nationwide and underscores the negative impact that restricting provider choice would have on vulnerable populations.
The brief argues patients could lose access to essential healthcare without the ability to enforce their rights under the Medicaid Act’s free-choice-of-provider provision, including reproductive health services, leading to poorer health outcomes, increased health disparities, and overwhelmed local healthcare infrastructure.
“The right to choose a qualified healthcare provider is fundamental to ensuring equitable access to care,” said Mayor Bhalla. “Blocking providers from Medicaid for ideological reasons does not just limit reproductive healthcare, it threatens public health and places unnecessary strain on local hospitals and clinics that are already overburdened and working at capacity.”
Medicaid is the largest public funder of family planning services, covering over 16 million women of reproductive age. A ruling against provider choice would force more patients to turn to city- and county-run health services, exacerbating provider shortages and undermining local public health efforts.
Hoboken residents, including vulnerable populations, rely on Medicaid for health services. Over the last year, the City’s social workers have helped over 65 clients with health insurance coverage including getting and renewing Medicaid.
Mayor Bhalla’s participation in this amicus brief reaffirms the administration’s commitment to protecting reproductive rights and ensuring that residents, regardless of income, have access to healthcare.
