Republicans are trying to "defund" Planned Parenthood, using budget reconciliation rules that prevent a Senate filibuster and allow passage of the ruling party's budget without bipartisan support.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that blocking patients from using their Medicaid insurance plan to obtain sexual and reproductive healthcare at Planned Parenthood clinics would increase the deficit by $300 million. This is the only provision in the healthcare portion of the reconciliation bill that would increase the deficit.

The provision would stop Planned Parenthood from being able to be reimbursed for providing services to people insured by Medicaid or those eligible for free or reduced fee services through the Title X program. The provision would affect access to pap smears, breast cancer screenings, STI tests, birth control and more to the 2 million people currently served by the close to 600 Planned Parenthood locations across the country each year.

Federal funds do not reimburse the costs of abortion, which is just 3 percent of all Planned Parenthood services. Planned Parenthood, however, provides 35 percent of abortions in the United States. For this reason, defunding Planned Parenthood has been a priority of Republicans at the state and federal levels for years and is a Project 2025 priority.

"Make no mistake, Planned Parenthood is being targeted," said Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, at a May 14 press conference. "Just like any other healthcare provider, Planned Parenthood health centers get reimbursed by Medicaid for the care that they provide. This is nothing more than an attempt to end abortion in the United States, and they are willing to take away birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment and more to do it."