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.

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.

Planned Parenthood is closing clinics and facing more financial strains as Republican control of Washington opens new avenues for weakening the abortion provider. The organization will go before the Supreme Court on Wednesday for a case that will help determine whether states can kick healthcare providers that offer abortions out of their Medicaid programs,

Planned Parenthood said that nine of its affiliates received notice that funding would be withheld under a program known as Title X, which has supported healthcare services for the poor since 1970.