Louisiana House Passes Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood Abortion Company

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 28, 2016   |   10:19AM   |   Washington, DC

The Louisiana state House has approved legislation that would further defund the Planned Parenthood abortion company in the state.  Last year, pro-life former Governor Bobby Jindal cut off a taxpayer-funded contract with Planned Parenthood after the abortion business was caught selling aborted babies and their body parts.

In August, then-Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal canceled a state contract with Planned Parenthood that provides the abortion company with family planning funding through Medicaid. But Planned Parenthood went to court to block the move.

Then, Jindal tried a different approach —  one based on the fact that Planned Parenthood has been caught in other states engaging in Medicaid fraud. Now, the state legislature is moving a bill forward to yank the abortion company’s taxpayer funding:

The House voted 85-7 for the measure by Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe.

The bill, which moves next to the Senate for debate, would ban public funding in Louisiana for entities that perform abortions. Planned Parenthood has indicated it wants to offer abortions at its new clinic under construction in New Orleans.

Louisiana already is tied up in litigation about a similar issue. A federal judge has blocked previous Louisiana efforts to cut off Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics.

Even though Medicaid dollars can’t pay for abortions, supporters of Hoffmann’s bill said they don’t want tax dollars to flow to clinics that offer abortions.

“We are hopeful that they stop doing abortions or do not start doing abortions,” Hoffmann said.

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In Texas, Planned Parenthood was forced to repay the state $4.3 million after it was found to have participated in a massive Medicaid fraud scheme. A former employee of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast has filed a whistleblower’s complaint with the Attorney General of Texas and the U.S. Department of Justice. The PPGC employee alleges that the abortion business engaged in an elaborate Medicaid fraud scheme.

Karen Reynolds, who worked as a “health care assistant” from 1999 to 2009 at the Lufkin, Texas, branch of the affiliate formerly known as Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas, submitted company memos and emails to support her charge that PPGC has engaged in a systemwide scheme to bilk Medicaid, Title XX, and the Women’s Health Program of tens of millions of dollars over the course of at least a decade.

Reynolds alleges bosses trained employees to bill government agencies for medical and family planning services not rendered, for services no reasonable medical personnel would provide, and – the biggest bombshell – for abortion-related services fudged to appear as if they were not.

The Texas Attorney General found Planned Parenthood had defrauded the state after a thorough investigation.

Louisiana says the Texas settlement makes it so Planned Parenthood has violated Medicaid rules as a whole — thus disqualifying it for funding in the Bayou State.

After the expose’ showed Planned Parenthood selling aborted babies, then Governor Jindal said, “In recent weeks, it has been shocking to see reports of the alleged activities taking place at Planned Parenthood facilities across the country. Planned Parenthood does not represent the values of the people of Louisiana and shows a fundamental disrespect for human life.  It has become clear that this is not an organization that is worthy of receiving public assistance from the state.”

Jindal’s office referenced the investigation he sought almost immediately after the first of four videos was released.

It said the governor is “multiple videos have surfaced showing Planned Parenthood Federation of America senior personnel and other employees describing how they actively engage in illegal partial birth abortion procedures and conduct these abortions in a manner that leaves body parts intact so that they can later be sold on the open market. Since these videos have surfaced, Governor Jindal has directed DHH to investigate Planned Parenthood’s activities in Louisiana and also sent a letter to both the Louisiana Inspector General and the F.B.I. asking them to assist in the investigation.”

According to the Medicaid provider contract between DHH and Planned Parenthood, along with relevant Louisiana law, either party can choose to cancel the contract at will after providing written notice.

Jindal’s office said, “Governor Jindal and DHH decided to give the required 30-day notice to terminate the Planned Parenthood Medicaid provider contract because Planned Parenthood does not represent the values of the State of Louisiana in regards to respecting human life. Pending the ongoing investigation, DHH reserves the right to amend the cancellation notice and terminate the provider agreement immediately should cause be determined.”

The governor said the state health department has “concerns that Planned Parenthood could be acting in violation of Louisiana law that states no person or group contracting with the state or receiving government assistance shall require or recommend that any woman have an abortion.  The state investigation into Planned Parenthood remains ongoing.”

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