House votes to bar Planned Parenthood from Medicaid provider network; debate centers on preventive care access

The North Carolina House on Oct. 22 approved a measure to disenroll Planned Parenthood Federation of America and associated entities as Medicaid providers.

The bill’s sponsor said the measure was written to align state policy with recent federal restrictions and to redirect Medicaid business to community health centers. "Number 1, it disenrolls Planned Parenthood Federation of America and associated entities as Medicaid providers," the sponsor said on the floor.

Opponents said the change would reduce access to preventive care — including contraception, cancer screenings and sexually transmitted infection testing — and warned of longer wait times and worse health outcomes for women and families, particularly in underserved and rural areas. Representative Butler described the services typically provided at gynecological visits: "That doctor does pap smears for cervical screening. That doctor does breast exams to check for breast cancer... That's the doctor that you call when something doesn't feel right," she said.

Supporters argued that Medicaid does not fund elective abortions and said taxpayer dollars should not flow to an organization some view as political. They also said community health centers and other providers stood ready to absorb additional patients.

The bill drew repeated points of order and an appeal about whether it fit within the day's amended adjournment resolution; the chair ruled it was in order and the House sustained that ruling. On a recorded vote for second reading the House recorded 61 in favor and 47 opposed. The bill passed third reading by voice vote and will be transmitted as required by procedure.

Floor debate included technical and procedural points about billing codes and whether replacement capacity was available statewide. Several members urged caution before removing an existing access point without a detailed replacement plan.