Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest v. Streur

The American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit in February 2014 on behalf of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest in Alaska Superior Court challenging a new regulation that could severely restrict abortion access for low-income women.

The regulation seeks to circumvent a 2001 decision by the Alaska Supreme Court that the state cannot discriminate in the provision of services under the Medicaid program, and must cover abortions determined to be medically necessary by a woman's physician. Instead, the regulation establishes criteria aimed at severely restricting the ability of low-income women to access medically needed abortion services.

If allowed to stand, the regulations will go into effect on February 2 and will have immediate and irreversible consequences for Medicaid-eligible Alaskan women.