California Gives $90 Million to Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood / Contributor

Planned Parenthood has over 100 locations in California, including a Health Center on the Third Street Promenade.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 106 on Feb. 11, which amended California’s Budget Act of 2025. SB 106 gave roughly $140 million to California’s Department of Healthcare Access and Information, with the money to be spent on the health care workforce, health care quality and affordability and facilities development. $90 million of this was provided to Planned Parenthood, a sexual and reproductive health care nonprofit organization, given in the form of grants. With over 100 centers within California, this money will go towards helping around a sixth of all Planned Parenthood locations in the United States. This move followed the Trump Administration’s removal of use of Medicaid at Planned Parenthood on Sept. 11, which, according to a press release by Planned Parenthood on the same date, left 1.1 million patients uninsured and up to 200 locations at risk to shut down cross country.

Access to Medicaid funding was first barred from Planned Parenthood on July 4, as a result of the Defund Provision in the Big Beautiful Bill. Section 71113 of the bill prevents Medicaid funding from being used at or with prohibited entities. Planned Parenthood qualifies as such, due to offering abortions those who want or need one, instead of only those in specific situations described in the section. About 50 percent of patients at Planned Parenthood relied on Medicaid, and $300 million in federal funding from Medicaid was lost in the cut-off. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America attempted to sue against this, on the grounds that it was against the First Amendment due to it stopping people from associating with Planned Parenthood. While a Federal judge initially placed and extended a temporary block on the cut, the First Circuit decided to allow the defunding on Sept. 11. The block has caused many to worry, including chemistry teacher Jenny Forster.

“I don’t feel great [about the cuts]. Anytime access to healthcare is cut, it is harmful. People need access to healthcare all the time in all situations, so taking it away is never a good thing. I had access to a lot of really good care while being pregnant and giving birth, and that was a privilege. I think that’s something that everyone should have access to, whatever choices they make,” Forster said.

Following this cut, Newsom made the decision to provide $140 million into Planned Parenthood in order for them to provide what was described as critical services on Oct. 23. With Planned Parenthood requiring a supposed $27 million a month in order to keep their doors open, the idea for more funding to be provided in the new year was already being considered. SB 106 gives additional funding after the initial relief four months prior. Directly after the signing of SB 106, Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry opened a press conference with a speech about the bill, discussing why the blocking of Medicaid at Planned Parenthood is important to California, and what this money will be doing.

“More than 80 percent of Planned Parenthood patient visits in California are reimbursed through Medi-Cal, and when the federal funding was blocked, health centers were left providing care without being paid for... No health center can keep its doors open that way forever. This bill helps stabilize our providers, keep health centers open, and retain staff so Californians can still get the care they need,” Aguiar-Curry said.

Samo student and president of Girls for Goodness Emme Fields-Kremer is thankful that California provided this funding to Planned Parenthood. Girls for Goodness is a club that focuses on helping middle school girls feel more comfortable and better prepared for high school and beyond. The money will help keep locations open, meaning that girls will have access to help during hard times if they require it.

“I’m very happy that California donated money to Planned Parenthood. I know a good amount of people who had to deal with

stuff; [Planned Parenthood] has been a resource during a difficult time. What [California] is doing is the right thing. They’re doing

what’s best for the people, even though the government isn’t. They are thinking about the girls dealing with this stuff,” Fields-Kremer said.