Amarillo Gazette

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, demanding the repayment of $10 million in Medicaid payments that the organization allegedly knew it was not entitled to retain. The legal action seeks to recover the funds and imposes penalties, marking a new challenge for Planned Parenthood in Texas, Fox News reported.

A Texas lawsuit seeks the return of Medicaid payments and additional fines from Planned Parenthood for health services, with a hearing scheduled before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk to potentially recoup over $17 million. The case is unrelated to abortion and follows Kacsmaryk's recent invalidation of FDA approval for the abortion pill Mifepristone. While Planned Parenthood argues the lawsuit aims to weaken the organization after funding cuts and operational restrictions, the lawsuit remains focused on alleged improper Medicaid reimbursements.

The lawsuit was lodged by Texas under the federal False Claims Act, which permits penalties for purported improper payments, potentially leading to a verdict exceeding $1 billion, Fox News reported.

In the previous year, Paxton remarked that it was inconceivable for Planned Parenthood to persist in utilizing funds while being aware they were ineligible to retain them, a press release reported.

Last year, Paxton filed another lawsuit against the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and several Texas locations seeking the recovery of $10 million in Medicaid payments. That lawsuit alleges that Planned Parenthood knowingly held onto the payments despite being ineligible following their removal from the Medicaid program in 2017. The case aims to reclaim the funds plus penalties for each day the payments were not repaid, with Paxton asserting that Planned Parenthood's actions were in violation of medical standards and integrity.