热点资讯The Independent Top News｜美国计划生育联合会寻求在法律诉讼期间维持医疗补助资金拨付
美国计划生育联合会律师指出，削减针对其堕胎服务提供方的医疗补助拨款，将使医疗选择本就有限的弱势群体受到损害
全美计划生育协会诊所的律师周五在联邦法庭上辩称，切断对其堕胎服务提供方的医疗补助资金，将损害那些本就医疗选择有限的弱势患者群体。
美国计划生育联合会及其在马萨诸塞州和犹他州的分支机构正竭力阻止唐纳德·特朗普总统税改法案中的部分条款，他们认为这些条款旨在针对其诊所。该条款将终止向以提供计划生育服务（如避孕、堕胎和妊娠检测）为主的机构（如计划生育联合会）支付医疗补助款项——这些机构2023年从医疗补助计划中获得超过80万美元的资金。
尽管这项于7月4日生效的法案并未明确提及美国计划生育联合会（Planned Parenthood），但该组织领导人表示，其近600个遍布48个州的中心均将受到影响。此外，缅因州一家主要医疗服务机构及其他相关机构也可能受到波及。
美国计划生育联合会律师艾伦·舍恩菲尔德在周五波士顿的听证会上表示：“正是这项附属条款让此事从根本上腐朽不堪。”
原告已向联邦法院提起诉讼，被告为卫生与公众服务部部长小罗伯特·F·肯尼迪。
目前，该条款因波士顿联邦地区法官英迪拉·塔尔瓦尼（Indira Talwani）批准了一项为期两周的临时限制令而暂缓执行，该命令阻止了削减计划。塔尔瓦尼表示，这项命令将于7月21日到期，届时她将决定是否在诉讼进行期间批准一项初步禁令动议，以阻止资金削减。
周五，塔尔瓦尼法官特别关注如何界定附属关系，以及计划生育健康中心需要满足哪些条件才能获得医疗补助资金。她向联邦政府律师质询：停止堕胎服务是否足够，还是必须彻底切断所有关联。
美国卫生与公众服务部（HHS）代表律师埃米莉·霍尔周五表示，联邦政府需要更多关于计划生育协会组织结构的信息，并需要时间来完成对相关法律的最终解读。
霍尔表示：“这取决于企业关系的性质，而我并不具备这种关系。”
本周，俄亥俄州计划生育办公室于周二宣布，由于州和联邦资金削减，将关闭位于辛辛那提北部汉密尔顿和斯普林菲尔德的两家健康诊所，此举进一步加剧了人们对计划生育项目即将面临削减的担忧。
“请务必明确：这并非俄亥俄州西南地区计划生育协会单方面的决定，”曾获民主党州长提名的总裁兼首席执行官南·惠利向记者表示。“我们已竭尽所能维持这些中心的运营，但来自州和联邦层面的政治攻击造成的破坏性影响，迫使我们不得不做出这一极其艰难的决定。”
这些中心提供预防性医疗服务，包括性传播疾病检测、避孕措施以及健康体检。
医疗补助计划（Medicaid）是一项为数百万低收入及残障美国人提供服务的政府医疗保障项目。计划生育协会（Planned Parenthood）近半数患者依赖该计划获得医疗服务。
Attorneys for Planned Parenthood argue that cutting Medicaid payments to their abortion providers will harm vulnerable populations with limited health care options
Attorneys for Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide argued in federal court Friday that cutting off Medicaid funding to its abortion providers would hurt vulnerable patients who already have limited health care options.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates in Massachusetts and Utah are fighting to block part of President Donald Trump 's tax bill they say is designed to target their clinics. The provision would end Medicaid payments to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood that primarily offer family planning services things like contraception, abortion and pregnancy tests and received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023.
Although Planned Parenthood is not specifically named in the statute, which went into effect July 4, the organization's leaders say it was meant to affect their nearly 600 centers in 48 states. However, a major medical provider in Maine and likely others have also been hit.
It's the affiliation provision that makes this rotten to the core, said Planned Parenthood attorney Alan Schoenfeld during Friday's hearing in Boston .
The plaintiffs have filed their federal lawsuit against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
So far, the provision has been on hold after U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston granted a temporary restraining order blocking the cuts for two weeks. That order expires July 21, when Talwani has said she will decide whether to grant a motion for a preliminary injunction against the funding cuts while the lawsuit plays out.
On Friday, Talwani was particularly focused on getting a definition of what constituted an affiliation and what a Planned Parenthood health center would have to do to qualify for Medicaid funding, quizzing the federal government's attorneys if stopping abortions would be enough or if they would have to completely severe all ties.
Emily Hall, an attorney representing HHS, said Friday that the federal government needs more information about Planned Parenthood's structure and time to finalize interpretations of the law.
It depends on the nature of the corporate relationship, which I don't have, Hall said.
Fears of pending cuts to Planned Parenthood further escalated this week after a Planned Parenthood office in Ohio announced Tuesday that it was closing two health clinics in Hamilton and Springfield, north of Cincinnati due to state and federal cuts.
Make no mistake: This is not a decision made by Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio Region, President and CEO Nan Whaley , a one-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee, told reporters. We took every possible step to keep these centers open, but the devastating impact of state and federal political attacks has forced us into this very difficult position.
The centers provide preventive health care, including testing for sexually transmitted diseases, birth control and wellness exams.
Medicaid is a government health care program that serves millions of low-income and disabled Americans. Nearly half of Planned Parenthoods patients rely on Medicaid.