Planned Parenthood to halt Wisconsin abortion services due to new federal law

WISCONSIN (CIVIC MEDIA) – Planned Parenthood says it will soon stop scheduling abortion appointments in Wisconsin.

Starting next Wednesday, the group will pause services while it figures out how to move forward under a new federal law signed by U.S. President Donald Trump this summer. The law blocks abortion providers from receiving Medicaid funding for a year.

Stephanie Miller, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, says they serve about 50,000 people per year providing all kinds of healthcare, and three out of every five individuals are covered by Medicaid.  At first, a judge said the law couldn’t go into effect. However, as the case moved through the court system, a federal appeals judge is allowing it to move forward.  That change goes into effect Oct. 1. Miller says they hope to resume services soon once they figure out what to do under the new law. 

Miller says they’re working to see as many patients as possible over the next few days.  The last time Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin paused abortion services was after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, making Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban the law of the land. They resumed abortions a little over a year later, when a Dane County judge ruled that the old law doesn’t apply to consensual abortion. 

In a statement posted on social media, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin affirmed its intent to challenge the federal government’s legislation.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is — and always will be — focused on putting our patients first. Our commitment is unwavering: Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin will continue to provide the full spectrum of reproductive health care — including abortion — as soon as we are able to. In the meantime, we are pursuing every available option — through the courts, through operations, and civic engagement.

There are only two other clinics that provides abortion services in the state, with both being located in Milwaukee.