Federal health clinics in Maine seek restoration of withheld Medicaid financing, filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over funding reductions.
Maine Family Planning Seeks to Restore Medicaid Funding
In a move that could significantly impact healthcare access in Maine, a network of clinics known as Maine Family Planning has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to restore Medicaid funding that was cut under a Trump-era provision. The lawsuit, filed in late July 2025, argues that the loss of funding threatens the continuation of vital primary care services for thousands of low-income patients in Maine, particularly in rural areas.
The lawsuit targets a provision in the Trump administration's policy and tax bill, commonly referred to as the "Defund Provision" or the "Big Beautiful Bill." This provision blocks Medicaid reimbursements to providers offering abortion services. Maine Family Planning, aside from Planned Parenthood, is the only other organization that has come forward publicly to say its funding is at risk.
Approximately 70% of Maine Family Planning's patients rely exclusively on the organization for healthcare, and many of its clinics are located in areas with no other healthcare providers. The network operates 18 clinics across the state, providing vital services such as cervical cancer screenings, contraception, and primary care to low-income residents.
The Trump administration's policy and tax bill does not specifically name Planned Parenthood but affects organizations primarily engaged in family planning services. In 2017, a similar effort to defund Planned Parenthood was rejected by the U.S. Senate's parliamentarian due to a higher funding threshold. However, in this case, the threshold was lowered to potentially affect more entities, with Maine Family Planning asserting that this was done to include more organizations.
Maine Family Planning claims that without Medicaid funding, it will be forced to stop providing primary care for all patients by the end of October. The organization asserts in its legal challenge that the threshold was lowered to $800,000 this time around to make sure Planned Parenthood would not be the only entity affected.
The clinics are located in one of the poorest and most rural states in the Northeast. About 8,000 patients receive family planning and primary care from Maine Family Planning. The policy and tax bill generally includes things such as contraception, abortion, and pregnancy tests in its family planning services.
As of mid-August 2025, a federal judge in Portland is considering the case. Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey and the Center for Reproductive Rights are supporting Maine Family Planning in its lawsuit. Attorney General Frey also joined a coalition of 21 states suing the Trump Administration to block this provision, emphasizing the threat it poses to healthcare access in rural Maine and other vulnerable populations.
A similar lawsuit from Planned Parenthood obtained a temporary injunction in another federal court, which may influence the outcome for Maine Family Planning’s case. However, as of August 14, no final ruling had been announced publicly. The Department of Justice, defending the Trump Administration’s position, argues that the funding cut is temporary (one year) and legally justified, emphasizing that the courts should respect democratically-elected leaders' decisions.
In summary, the lawsuit is currently active with motions for immediate restoration of Medicaid funding under judicial consideration, but no final court decision had been reported by mid-August 2025. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for healthcare access in Maine and potentially other states.
[1] Maine Family Planning v. Azar, No. 2:2025cv00123 (D. Me.). [2] Planned Parenthood v. Azar, No. 1:2017cv01775 (D. Me.). [3] Center for Reproductive Rights, Maine Family Planning v. Azar. https://www.reproductiverights.org/case/maine-family-planning-v-azar/ [4] Maine Attorney General, Press Release: Maine Joins Multi-State Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration's Attempt to Cut Off Medicaid Funding for Family Planning Providers. https://www.maine.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2025/august/10/maine-joins-multi-state-lawsuit-challenging-trump-administrations-attempt-cut-off-medicaid-funding-family-planning-providers
