Planned Parenthood

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Planned Parenthood of Indiana says it will stop seeing Medicaid patients if a federal judge doesn't rule Monday on its attempt to block the state's new abortion funding law. The group said it will stop seeing those patients unless they can pay or use other resources if the judge doesn't rule by the close of business Monday on its request for a preliminary injunction blocking the law. The law signed...

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Planned Parenthood of Indiana says it won't be able to serve 9,300 Medicaid patients at its clinics after a federal judge refused to block a new state law that cuts off its public funding. The group says it is "deeply disappointed" that the judge didn't stop what it called an "unconscionable law" from taking effect. It says patients will lose access to crucial preventative care such as cancer screenings at its 28 clinics around the state.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Senate has backed a push to prohibit any state contracts or grants with Planned Parenthood or other organizations that provide abortions. The Senate voted 36-13 Monday to put the prohibition in a bill that would cut four weeks off the time that abortions would be allowed and give the state some of the country's tightest abortion restrictions. Republican Sen. Scott Schneider of Indianapolis says taxpayers shouldn't be forced to have their money subsidize organizations that perform abortions.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — It's anybody's guess which Mitch Daniels will show up when it comes time to sign or veto an Indiana measure that cuts off $3 million a year in federal funding to Planned Parenthood in the state. Daniels spokeswoman Jane Jankowski says the Republican governor has asked his staff to research the bill and hasn't decided if he'll sign it. He's a fiscal hawk who may not want to put at risk $4 million a year in federal family planning grants that probably would be cut off because of the bill.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana has asked a federal appeals court to lift an injunction that bars the state from cutting off Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood because it provides abortions. Attorneys for the state and Planned Parenthood appeared before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago Thursday to present their arguments in the legal skirmish that began in May when Gov. Mitch Daniels signed sweeping abortion restrictions into law. The move made Indiana the first state to deny the organization Medicaid funds for general health services including cancer screenings.

MISHAWAKA — Supporters of Planned Parenthood of Indiana are invited to attend a rally from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Planned Parenthood health center at 3005 Grape Road. Rallies are planned across the state through Wednesday in reaction to the passage this week in the Indiana House of Representatives of House Bill 1210, which would place further restrictions on abortion and deny the $3 million in federal Medicaid money distributed annually to Planned Parenthood of Indiana.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Planned Parenthood of Indiana says it will recognize World AIDS Day by offering free HIV tests at 19 of its health centers Dec. 1-8. The free tests will be offered at the Planned Parenthood health centers in Avon, Bloomington, Columbus, Evansville, Fort Wayne, four Indianapolis locations, Hammond, Lafayette, Madison, Merrillville, Mishawaka, Muncie, Richmond, Terre Haute, Valparaiso and Warsaw. It says the free tests were made possible by the nonprofit's Women's Health Fund.

Planned Parenthood has exhausted more than $100,000 dollars in donations. Now the organization is forced to do something it wanted to avoid: cut medicaid patients off. Outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Mishawaka, the sign on the marquee says their people and services are "still here. "  But the big question: for how long? "We did hold on as long as we could," said Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana. "The last thing we ever want to do is shut our doors to any of our patients.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Southern Indiana police arrested a man on suspicion of using an ax to smash windows and damage computers at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Bloomington on Thursday. Benjamin D. Curell, 27, of Ellettsville, was arrested on preliminary burglary and criminal mischief charges, The Herald-Times reported ( http://bit.ly/ZbIdpI ). Curell is accused of vandalizing the clinic around 4 a.m. Thursday, including splashing red paint on the building, said Bloomington police Capt.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana said funding cuts could mean 13 of its 28 clinics across the state will have to close. It's too early to tell if the Mishwaka, Elkhart or Michigan City clinics are in jeopardy. So what are the agency's clients saying about this possibility? "It scares me for society," said 23-year-old Kortney Brouwer. Brouwer considers Planned Parenthood the best option out there for women. She's frustrated with the new law. "I was really angry," Brouwer said.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Southern Indiana police arrested a man on suspicion of using an ax to smash windows and damage computers at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Bloomington on Thursday. Benjamin D. Curell, 27, of Ellettsville, was arrested on preliminary burglary and criminal mischief charges, The Herald-Times reported ( http://bit.ly/ZbIdpI ). Curell is accused of vandalizing the clinic around 4 a.m. Thursday, including splashing red paint on the building, said Bloomington police Capt.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Planned Parenthood of Indiana says it will offer free Pap tests at 19 of its health centers next week. The free tests are in celebration of National Women's Health Week. Locally, the free testing will be on May 17 in Mishawawaka (map here ) and Warsaw (map here ). In the rest of the state, they will be held on May 14th in Fort Wayne, Planned Parenthood's Indianapolis-Eastside center, Madison and Terre Haute; May 15th in Bloomington, the Indianapolis-Midtown center, Lafayette and Merrillville; May 16th in Richmond, the Indianapolis-Castleton center and Valparaiso; May 17th in Hammond, the Indianapolis-Southside center, and Muncie; May 18th in Avon and Columbus; and May 22nd in Evansville.

We have an update to a story we first brought you Monday that's been getting a lot of attention. The Indiana lawmaker who called the Girl Scouts a “radicalized organization” that supports abortion is standing firmly behind his comments.   This all began when Republican Rep. Bob Morris of Fort Wayne refused to sign a resolution honoring the Girl Scouts for its 100th birthday. He said he couldn't support the measure because he believes the Girl Scouts has become a "radicalized organization" that supports abortion.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A lawmaker has sent a letter to fellow Republican members of the Indiana House saying he will not support a resolution celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts because he believes it is a "radicalized organization" that supports abortion and promotes homosexuality. In a letter obtained by The Journal-Gazette of Fort Wayne on Monday, Rep. Bob Morris of Fort Wayne said he did some research on the Internet and found allegations that the Girl Scouts are a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood, allow transgender females to join and encourage sex. "After talking to some well-informed constituents, I did a small amount of web-based research, and what I found is disturbing," Morris wrote in his letter, which also accused the group of promoting "homosexual lifestyles.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A federal agency panel in Chicago will reconsider whether Indiana violated federal law when it decided to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. Solicitor General Tom Fisher on Thursday asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to overturn its June 1 ruling that found changes in the state's Medicaid plan deprived women of freedom of choice of providers. The state says the law allows it to set qualifications for providers.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana has asked a federal appeals court to lift an injunction that bars the state from cutting off Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood because it provides abortions. Attorneys for the state and Planned Parenthood appeared before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago Thursday to present their arguments in the legal skirmish that began in May when Gov. Mitch Daniels signed sweeping abortion restrictions into law. The move made Indiana the first state to deny the organization Medicaid funds for general health services including cancer screenings.

Planned Parenthood has exhausted more than $100,000 dollars in donations. Now the organization is forced to do something it wanted to avoid: cut medicaid patients off. Outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Mishawaka, the sign on the marquee says their people and services are "still here. "  But the big question: for how long? "We did hold on as long as we could," said Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana. "The last thing we ever want to do is shut our doors to any of our patients.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Planned Parenthood of Indiana says it will stop seeing Medicaid patients if a federal judge doesn't rule Monday on its attempt to block the state's new abortion funding law. The group said it will stop seeing those patients unless they can pay or use other resources if the judge doesn't rule by the close of business Monday on its request for a preliminary injunction blocking the law. The law signed...

The Health and Human Services Department is telling the state of Indiana that its Medicaid plan, which bans funding to Planned Parenthood, is illegal and must be changed. In a letter sent to Indiana's Medicaid director, and obtained by The Associated Press this week, Medicaid Administrator Donald M. Berwick says Indiana's plan will improperly bar Medicaid beneficiaries from receiving services. Berwick writes that federal law requires Medicaid beneficiaries to be able to obtain services from any provider qualified to provide services.