The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Wednesday in a case that, at first glance, appears to involve only a technical interpretation of the federal Medicaid Act. But the dispute has drawn wides

In opposing the case, the state of South Carolina has argued that Edwards didn’t have a right to sue in federal court. The lower courts sided with Edwards and Planned Parenthood—as have most federal circuit courts that have considered similar cases. So South Carolina appealed, all the way up to the Supreme Court.

Several key conservatives on the Supreme Court left open the possibility on Wednesday that they could side with Planned Parenthood in a dispute with South Carolina over its decision to yank that organization’s Medicaid funding because it provides abortions.

South Carolina in 2018 moved to terminate a Planned Parenthood affiliate's participation in its state Medicaid program.

The justices are considering whether patients can sue states that completely cut off Medicaid funding to the provider.

The US Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday over a move by the state of South Carolina to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood because the reproductive health organization provides abortions.

Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared sympathetic on Wednesday to South Carolina's bid to strip Planned Parenthood of funding under the Medicaid program in a case that could bolster efforts by Republican-led states to deprive the reproductive healthcare and abortion provider of public money.

Legal, political and financial threats are pressuring the abortion-rights juggernaut.

The Supreme Court heard arguments on whether South Carolina can remove Planned Parenthood clinics from its state Medicaid program, even though those funds cannot generally be used to fund abortions.