Planned Parenthood will be forced to close two of its local health centers due to federal changes to Medicaid.
Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region (PPSWO) said in a Thursday press release that health centers in Springfield and Hamilton will close in a matter of weeks as a “direct result” of the federal reconciliation bill, which President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4.
What’s happening?
The bill, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, bars health care providers that offer abortion services from participating in the Medicaid program, stripping health centers across the country of millions in Medicaid reimbursement funding.
Ohio Medicaid has never allowed recipients to use Medicaid coverage to pay for abortions, but patients using the health plan have been allowed to pay for other reproductive health services at clinics like Planned Parenthood until the federal changes. Thousands of low-income Ohioans use the Springfield and Hamilton clinics for basic preventive health care services, like STI testing and treatment, birth control, cancer screenings and more. The Springfield and Hamilton clinics don’t provide abortion services, according to PPSWO’s website.
“Make no mistake: this was not a decision made by Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region,” said Nan Whaley, president of PPSWO. “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.”
Whaley told reporters on Thursday that closing the Springfield and Hamilton health centers would preserve abortion care and gender-affirming care access at their other clinics in the state. Planned Parenthood’s Cincinnati and Kettering clinics still provide abortions through 22 weeks into pregnancy.
Ohio’s recently passed two-year state budget also factored into the decision to close the health centers, Whaley said. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine kept a trigger in the budget that would automatically end Medicaid expansion coverage for about 770,000 low-income adults (most of whom are employed) if the federal government reduced its funding share below 90%.
“Planned Parenthood was often the only trusted provider for comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care in these communities,” Whaley added. “This decision — driven by politics, not public health — harms real people who already face barriers to care.”
What’s next?
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that states were immune from lawsuits if they excluded Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program, but Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit on July 7 arguing that the defunding provision in the reconciliation bill violates multiple constitutional protections. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani agreed to temporarily block the provision, directing the Trump administration to “take all steps necessary to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed in the customary manner and timeframes” to Planned Parenthood for two weeks while the case proceeds. Oral arguments on the case are scheduled for July 18 and could determine whether the provision violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
In the meantime, PPSWO said the closures to the Springfield and Hamilton health centers will take effect on Aug. 1. Patients were given notice of the closure via mail and in MyChart, along with information to find alternative providers in their communities. PPSWO said patients should still be able to access secure health records via MyChart or by request.
Some staff members at the closing health centers may be laid off, but the organization said its HR team is supporting all employees through the transition. No additional health center closures are expected as of now, with the organization saying it will continue to “steward private funding” to support patients who rely on services they can’t access elsewhere.
“We’ve served Ohio for 96 years, and we aren’t going anywhere,” Whaley said. “As access to basic health care becomes more politicized, our mission becomes more critical.”
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This article appears in Jul 9-22, 2025.