"Legal Battle in Texas Aims to Financially Cripple Planned Parenthood"

Planned Parenthood in Texas is facing a potentially existential threat as the state seeks over $1.8 billion in reimbursement, penalties, and fees in a federal lawsuit claiming the organization improperly billed Medicaid for $10 million during a period when the state was trying to remove it from the program. Texas has a long history of attempting to defund Planned Parenthood, including restricting and banning abortion, cutting off funding for cancer screenings, contraception, HIV prevention, and sex education. Despite these efforts, Planned Parenthood's clinic doors have remained open in Texas. The lawsuit, which is being heard by a conservative judge, could bankrupt the organization's three affiliates in Texas.