Planned Parenthood Rallies in Albany, Seeking $123m in State Funding Amid Federal Budget Cuts

By Grace Olney and Trevor Layton | March 30, 2026

Photo Credit: Amelia Hoffmire / The ASP

Over 300 New Yorkers rallied at the New York State Capitol in downtown Albany on Feb. 25. They gathered to raise support for a total of $123 million in state funding to support sexual and reproductive health care programs of Planned Parenthood.

The budget request from Planned Parenthood of Greater New York follows an eight-month gap since the July 2025 federal mandate to cut Medicaid support. According to the non-profit, the ruling affected 47 Planned Parenthood health centers in New York that provided abortions and  received over $800,000 in federal Medicaid funds in 2023. 

According to a Planned Parenthood impact report, over 50% of the 200,000 New Yorkers who receive healthcare from the organization annually use Medicaid benefits.

“The devastation of this bill extends beyond abortion,” said Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Director Dipal Shah. “Cancers will go undetected, STIs will go untreated, birth control will be harder to get, and the public health infrastructure of communities will break down.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has already committed to backfilling this loss in October and included $35 million in her 2026-2027 Executive Budget proposal.   

The $35 million helps close a budget gap created by the loss of federal Medicaid payments. The organization said it will continue to lobby the state for this funding to provide health care services to New Yorkers on Medicaid. 

Without this funding, centers are at risk of cutting down their services or shutting down entirely. The remainder of the budget demands are allocated to programs such as the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program and support for medication abortion, according to their Day of Action lobby booklet. 

Amelia Hoffmire, a volunteer high-school lobbyist, drove around 140 miles from her hometown to attend the rally last month. 

“If this funding is approved, it would bring a lot of comfort to me knowing that I have a place to go and I have safe access to care,” Hoffmire said. “And if it was denied, I think that honestly it would just be heartbreaking.”

Hoffmire and other lobbyists at the rally said they addressed their demands in meetings with New York legislators throughout the day.

Many at the rally, including lobbyist Makenzie White, said they believe needed medical care will be unavailable without Medicaid funding.

“Funding is very urgent and much needed right now because some people with lower incomes, no insurance or limited health care options need to have Planned Parenthood as an option to go to,” said White, adding that New York is a safe state for abortion care, and many travel here to seek care.

“Clinics in these states are going to need more funding to be able to care and provide necessities and staff for patients to stay healthy and alive”, she said.

According to the impact report by Planned Parenthood, around 100,000 visits to Planned Parenthood facilities in New York in September 2025 — the first month when the federal defunding went into effect — were by people using Medicaid. Planned Parenthood spent $45 million to offset the loss of Medicaid reimbursement.

“I have had to advocate for myself for my own medical needs for a long time,” said Hoffmire, “and I think that being a young girl in a small community, has generally inspired me to advocate and advocate for others as well.”