The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way on Thursday for South Carolina to strip Planned Parenthood of funding under the Medicaid health insurance program in a ruling that bolsters efforts by Republican-led states to deprive the reproductive healthcare and abortion provider of public money.

The dispute arose from a long-running effort by the state to block the reproductive health care group from receiving Medicaid funds.

The Supreme Court rejected Planned Parenthood's challenge to South Carolina's attempt to bar the organization from participating in its Medicaid program.