Texas cuts Planned Parenthood from state Medicaid program, citing undercover videos

Texas officials reportedly intend to send a letter to Planned Parenthood affiliates Monday informing them that the organization will no longer be included in the state Medicaid program, The Houston Chronicle reports. The decision to cut the organization entirely from state Medicaid follows the series of undercover videos released this summer purportedly showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of fetal tissue.

"The State has determined that you and your Planned Parenthood affiliates are no longer capable of performing medical services in a professionally competent, safe, legal, and ethical manner," wrote Stuart Bowen, the inspector general of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Planned Parenthood has maintained that "it has done nothing wrong and has not profited off of the donation of fetal tissue," The Houston Chronicle reports. While Planned Parenthood already does not receive taxpayer money in the state of Texas for most of its services, The Houston Chronicle says that "being cut out of the Medicaid program entirely would be a major blow."

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