PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Amid funding cuts targeting abortion providers by the Trump administration, a network of clinics offering healthcare to low-income residents in Maine announced its decision to cease primary care services starting Friday.
Maine Family Planning, which runs 18 clinics statewide, emphasizes that while abortions make up a minor part of their offerings, they also provide vital services like cancer screenings, contraception, and testing for sexually transmitted infections. These clinics had to eliminate primary care due to the administration’s initiative to deny Medicaid funds to abortion-affiliated providers, impacting larger organizations such as Planned Parenthood.
George Hill, president of Maine Family Planning, expressed concern over the impact on patient access to healthcare in Maine, noting that the funding cuts are causing patients to lose their trusted medical providers. In the previous year, their primary care facilities served over 600 patients, Hill reported.
“Informing these patients that we can no longer provide care has been heart-wrenching, particularly since some may struggle to find new healthcare providers and might ultimately neglect their health needs,” Hill stated.
The network, which caters to many underserved and rural communities, typically secures approximately $1.9 million annually through Medicaid reimbursements. Patients were informed about the imminent closure of primary care services roughly a month ago. Maine Family Planning caters to about 8,000 patients overall.
The organization challenged the Medicaid funding cut in federal court but faced a setback in August when a judge declined to reinstate the funding while their lawsuit against the Trump administration continues. They have since escalated the case to a higher court, where the legal battle remains active.
The Center for Reproductive Rights filed the case in federal court on behalf of the network, and said Friday it will continue to fight to restore the funding. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, called the loss of funding for Maine Family Planning “part of a larger strategy to shut down clinics even in states like Maine that protect the right to abortion.”
