AUGUSTA, Maine — The regional chapter of Planned Parenthood is asking Gov. Janet Mills to shift funding toward its Maine operations to offset effects of the megabill that President Donald Trump recently signed into law.
The Republican president signed his signature package, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, into law on July 4. It included a provision that would prevent certain abortion providers from receiving state Medicaid payments for one year. That part of the law is on hold after a lawsuit from Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions and reproductive health care.
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is preparing to lose out on roughly $1 million in Medicaid reimbursements per year in Maine alone. It’s an example of how Trump’s policies are stretching into Democratic-led states that have made their abortion laws more permissive since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion rights in 2022.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the organization warned that hundreds of Mainers could lose access to covered primary care, contraception and other family planning services if the provision is allowed to take effect. Of the roughly 7,100 patients seen at Planned Parenthood’s health centers in Maine last year, 27 percent were on Medicaid.
The federal budget provision would not directly impact funding for abortions. Federal money is already barred from going toward abortions under most circumstances; Maine is among 20 states that cover abortion services. However, advocates said the reconciliation package was a tool of the anti-abortion movement to reduce abortion access even in states like Maine.
“If you close abortion providers’ doors by hamstringing them financially, what you’re really doing is creating a backdoor abortion ban,” said Lisa Margulies, Planned Parenthood’s Maine spokesperson.
She implored Mills, who has signed some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the nation, to help. Planned Parenthood did not say exactly what it wants from the state. Mills is disappointed with Trump for taking aim at reproductive health, but spokesperson Ben Goodman said Planned Parenthood would be one of many groups requesting funding in 2026.
“The Administration is in the process of determining the full scope of the damage the bill will cause and will consider, in collaboration with the Legislature, what financial resources are available, if any, and what potential steps can potentially be taken,” Goodman said.
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England CEO Nicole Clegg expressed hope that the courts would block the funding ban from taking effect. But if the ban is allowed to proceed, she said Planned Parenthood would face financial losses that could shutter 200 clinics nationwide.
The organization’s Northern New England branch said last year that it was facing an $8.6 million budget hole over three years due to rising demand for services and an uncertain political environment. Whether any locations in Maine close down could depend on whether the state steps in to fill the funding gap.
The state has shown some willingness to support its family planning network. In June, the Legislature granted $3 million of a $6 million request for family planning organizations, some of which will be given to Planned Parenthood. Services are still available for now.
“Our patients insured by Medicaid are forced to think through their healthcare needs week to week, day to day, whether or not they’re going to have access to us,” Clegg said.
Daniel O’Connor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural politics for the Bangor Daily News and the Maine Monitor. Additional support for this reporting is provided by BDN readers.
