Republican-led states have sought to deprive abortion providers of public funds by restricting access to Medicaid.
The United States Supreme Court has cleared the way for South Carolina to strip the nonprofit healthcare provider Planned Parenthood of funding under Medicaid, a government insurance programme.
Thursday’s ruling was split along ideological lines, with the three liberal justices on the nine-member court dissenting.
The ruling overturned a lower court’s decision barring Republican-governed South Carolina from preventing Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, a regional branch, from participating in the state’s Medicaid programme.
Republican leaders in South Carolina have objected to Planned Parenthood because it provides abortions.
