Court Rules Against Planned Parenthood, Medicaid Fraud May Cost Abortion Biz $1.8 Billion

A federal appeals court on Wednesday dismissed Planned Parenthood’s bid to stop a major Medicaid fraud lawsuit, returning the case to trial court where the organization faces potential damages approaching $2 billion.

The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, sitting en banc, ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to hear Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s interlocutory appeal.

The decision sends the case back to the Northern District of Texas, where Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk had earlier rejected the group’s claim that its attorneys were immune from the suit.

The lawsuit, brought by whistleblower “Alex Doe” under the False Claims Act, alleges that three Planned Parenthood affiliates continued submitting Medicaid bills after Texas and Louisiana terminated their eligibility in 2015. The decisions by those states followed undercover videos from the Center for Medical Progress that showed Planned Parenthood officials discussing harvesting the body parts of aborted babies to sell. ---More...