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LAKEWOOD – U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) visited the Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountain’s (PPRM) Arvada clinic to hear from providers and administrators about the impacts of Trump’s ban on Medicaid coverage for care at Planned Parenthood. The ban was part of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which specifically prohibited Medicaid recipients from using Planned Parenthood for their health care. PPRM therefore had to immediately notify around 15,000 patients, around 25% of their patient base, that they could no longer be treated at Planned Parenthood facilities, and were unable to offer an alternative for care. But on Monday, a federal judge ruled the federal government must allow Medicaid to reimburse Planned Parenthood for patient care.

During the visit, Pettersen met with providers and administrators to discuss the real consequences of these changes, specifically, how individuals depend on these clinics for more than just reproductive services, and how these increased barriers, especially for rural and low-income individuals, could cause harm when they have access to few alternatives. In the first week alone, this local clinic had to notify 100 patients that they were unable to see them for their appointments that week. For many patients, Planned Parenthood is the only place they’ve ever known for getting the care they need. Pettersen also heard firsthand about the struggles PPRM has experienced with the chaotic implementation and judicial process around this ban. The Arvada clinic has 13 employees and the need for an additional provider, but the situation has created a difficult climate for hiring.

“Trump not only handpicked the radical Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe vs Wade, he has also stripped coverage for reproductive healthcare away for patients who rely on Medicaid through his “big ugly bill.”  Like so many women, I relied on Planned Parenthood for access to health care when I was uninsured. In many places, Planned Parenthood is the only option people have to access care and Donald Trump and the Republicans are leaving millions of Americans with nowhere to turn” said Rep. Pettersen.  “As a mom, I know there isn’t anything more personal than deciding if you want to start a family and nobody should make that decision for you, especially Donald Trump. I’m outraged by his cruelty and the impacts this will have on women for years to come. Women and Americans deserve so much better than this.”

"This law was designed to punish people on Medicaid who rely on Planned Parenthood for life-saving reproductive and sexual health care. It’s a cruel and calculated attack on health equity, and it’s having real, devastating consequences for our patients across Colorado.  In just the first nine days after the law took effect, nearly 1,000 patients across our region were denied essential care. These are people who couldn’t pick up their birth control, missed time-sensitive abortion care services, or were turned away from cancer screenings and STI treatment. These aren’t just numbers—they’re our neighbors, our friends, and our family members. Republicans in Congress who voted for this heinous bill should be ashamed of themselves" said Adrienne Mansanares, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. 

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion care provider, but they also provide basic care, including annual screenings, birth control, and other gynecological care. Each year, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains serves nearly 100,000 people at their 23 health centers in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Planned Parenthood estimates that 1 in 5 women have relied on Planned Parenthood for care at some point in their lives.

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