Think of the deeper ramifications of this story

SEDLAK: Planned Parenthood: What about the fraud?

Obama sides with abortion provider against states despite phony billings

Several states have either passed or are near passing new laws that would effectively bar Planned Parenthood from receiving government money, including Medicaid reimbursements.

The Obama administration has come to Planned Parenthood's rescue. In the first of these instances, the administration has sent a letter to Indiana that says it is basically illegal to cut off Planned Parenthood Medicaid funding.

The Health and Human Services Department's Medicaid administrator, Donald M. Berwick, said Indiana's plan will improperly bar beneficiaries from receiving services. Federal law requires Medicaid beneficiaries to be able to obtain services from any qualified provider. "Medicaid programs may not exclude qualified health care providers from providing services that are funded under the program because of a provider's scope of practice," Dr. Berwick wrote.

But while this struggle rages, there is a question nobody wants to ask: How can Planned Parenthood continue to get taxpayer money when it has repeatedly been found responsible for filing fraudulent claims for government reimbursement?

We are not talking about a simple mistake by a rogue employee. We are talking about mounting evidence of the systematic overbilling of taxpayers in states all across the country. For example:

c California: A 2004 audit found that Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside counties overcharged the government $5,213,645.92 for oral contraceptives. Planned Parenthood was supposed to charge the government the at-cost price for the pills. Instead, it charged a much higher price.

c New York: A 2008 federal audit of state family planning claims resulted in a finding that the State of New York had overbilled the federal government $17,151,156 by claiming procedures as "family planning" services when they were not. The federal audit report noted, "Officials at Planned Parenthood providers stated that they believed that nearly all the services they provide are related to family planning. However, the medical review determined that the providers improperly claimed, for example, services to pregnant women, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, and counseling visits unrelated to family planning services."