Redefining Patient Choice: The Supreme Court and Medina v. Planned Parenthood

In this episode of Voices in Health Law, host Andy Demetriou is joined by Ramona Thomas, General Counsel and Vice President of Risk and Compliance at Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, to unpack the Supreme Court’s decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood. Together, they trace the case’s origins in South Carolina’s attempt to exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid, explore how the Court’s 6–3 ruling redefined the enforceability of patient rights under Section 1983, and discuss the broader implications for access to care, state authority, and reproductive health. The conversation also touches on Justice Jackson’s dissent, the Court’s evolving approach to statutory interpretation, and what this means for the future of Medicaid beneficiaries and reproductive rights litigation.