The Real Scandal Of Lila Rose's Latest Stunt Video

Lila Rose, last seen trying to trap Planned Parenthood into providing care to fake teenage prostitutes, is back. This time, the target is a little less sexy: Indiana defunding Planned Parenthood.

In the video, fake Medicaid patients call Planned Parenthood, seeing if they’ll be treated, and get referrals elsewhere. Scandal! Rose would like this to be seen as a sign that the Obama administration loves abortion more than poor people, or something.

A judge recently granted a preliminary injunction against the law, which the state is likely to appeal. The federal Medicaid administration had already warned Indiana that it’s in violation of the law and risks losing all $4.3 billion Indiana currently receives in Medicaid funds.

Media Matters points out a major problem with the video, which is that it proves Planned Parenthood’s point:

Rose claimed that video she released today shows Planned Parenthood being caught “lying on tape about Indiana healthcare.”
Instead, Rose has demonstrated that Planned Parenthood’s concerns – that women on Medicaid who rely on Planned Parenthood for preventive health care would lose that access under the Indiana law denying funds to Planned Parenthood — were accurate.

Media Matters calls it a hoax, which isn’t strictly true, though the information is partial and represented misleadingly. It’s true that Planned Parenthood referred patients elsewhere and some representatives say that other clinics can take Medicaid patients for the same service. But this is a diversion, if what we’re talking about is actually access to care.

Planned Parenthood treats almost 10,000 Medicaid patients. Are the other clinics accepting Medicaid prepared for an extra 10,000 patients? What’s the current waiting time for an appointment? Transportation is often a barrier for low-income people in seeking healthcare; what kind of added burden would be involved in eliminating 28 health centers from the list?

To reiterate, money the federal government gives Planned Parenthood will never pay for abortion. Abortion, which is legal in the entire country, comprises three percent of all Planned Parenthood services. Here’s the real fraud: Pretending that giving low-income women fewer options for safe medical care — all in a quest to drive abortion providers out of business and deny all women their own choices — has anything to with concern for women.