Supreme Court to hear Medicaid case backed by Nevada AG Ford

KUNR Public Radio | By Manuel Holguin JR

Published March 17, 2025 at 8:52 AM PDT

Aaron Ford gestures during an interview in Las Vegas on Dec. 14, 2018. Thirteen Nevada Republicans announced a new coalition on Monday, July 25, 2022, to endorse the Democratic Attorney General in his re-election bid against their party's nominee, Sigal Chattah, a right-wing candidate who bested a more moderate Republican primary contender.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to protect Medicaid recipients’ right to choose their healthcare providers.

Ford and 17 other state attorneys general are backing a legal challenge attempting to block Medicaid funds from going to providers like Planned Parenthood.

Colorado and New Mexico are those in the lengthy list of states joining the amicus brief—or a legal argument.

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The case stems from a 2018 executive order by South Carolina’s governor, which sought to remove abortion providers from the state’s Medicaid program. Lower courts ruled the move illegal, confirming that Medicaid recipients have the right to choose their own qualified providers.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case on April 2.

Ford says nearly 791,000 Nevadans rely on Medicaid and should not have their healthcare choices restricted by politics. The attorney general argues that Medicaid’s “free choice of provider” rule is key to ensuring access to essential care like birth control and STI screenings.