Governor Enacts Order to Halt Medicaid Funds for Abortion Providers in Nebraska
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has initiated a new directive to ensure that taxpayer money is not used to support abortion services in the state. Through an executive order signed on Thursday, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is tasked with reviewing the Medicaid status of abortion providers who have been terminated in other states.
This decision follows a significant Supreme Court ruling in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which affirmed states’ rights to exclude abortion providers from Medicaid programs.
“We as taxpayers should not be funding abortion services period, pure and simple,” stated Governor Pillen. The executive order mandates the termination of Medicaid enrollment in Nebraska for any provider, including abortion clinics, that has been removed from Medicaid in another state.
Similar measures have been observed in other states. South Carolina prohibits Medicaid funds from supporting abortion providers, and Oklahoma’s Governor Kevin Stitt issued an executive order in August to block public funding for entities affiliated with abortion services.
This move aligns with federal restrictions placed by the “One Big Beautiful Bill” budget reconciliation package, which limits federal Medicaid funds for abortion providers.
Governor Pillen reiterated, “Federal law and Nebraska law and regulations are crystal, crystal clear. If a provider is kicked out of Medicaid anywhere in the country, they don’t get to come here and keep taking Nebraska’s taxpayer dollars.”
Attorney General Mike Hilgers emphasized that Nebraska women still have access to other pregnancy care options beyond Planned Parenthood. “This is about ensuring taxpayer dollars don’t go to abortions, but it also, I think, will help get women the care that they need at places that actually will protect and support their health,” he said.
In Nebraska, abortion services are provided by two clinics located in Omaha and Bellevue, with a Planned Parenthood facility in Lincoln offering other pregnancy-related services. Planned Parenthood North Central States clarified that it has not billed Medicaid for services in Nebraska since a federal appeals court lifted an injunction affecting the federal budget reconciliation’s Medicaid provisions on September 11.
Data from the Governor’s Office reveal that Medicaid payments for non-abortion services to abortion providers amounted to $172,164.11 in fiscal year 2024 and $341,972.18 in FY 2025.
Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, criticized the executive order, describing it as a “publicity stunt” intended to mislead Nebraskans about their healthcare choices. “Nebraskans need birth control. They need cancer screenings. They need wellness exams. And, yes, they need abortion care,” she commented.
Mindy Rush Chipman, Executive Director of the ACLU of Nebraska, also opposed the order, warning that it threatens access to a range of healthcare services, including birth control and cancer screenings. “The bottom line is that this has everything to do with forcing beliefs on others and nothing to do with health care,” she stated.
Conversely, Nate Grasz, Executive Director of Nebraska Family Alliance, supported the governor’s decision, advocating that “Women and babies in Nebraska deserve better than to be abandoned to the harms of the abortion industry.”
It’s important to note that the executive order does not alter the legality of abortion in Nebraska, where it remains legal up to 12 weeks as per a law enacted in 2023.
