WASHINGTON — In a blow to anti-Planned Parenthood groups, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case involving whether states can disqualify Planned Parenthood as a Medicaid provider.

In Andersen v. Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, lower courts have ruled states cannot withhold Medicaid money from Planned Parenthood if it provides health services for low-income women. It would be a violation of federal law.

Planned Parenthood says Medicaid money is not used for abortions. 

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch ruled the high court should hear the case, but the other six justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts and new Justice Brett Kavanaugh, refused to hear the case.

It takes four votes on the nine-justice court to grant a review. 

The decision shows the court's reluctance to take on abortion cases. Justice Thomas, in his dissenting opinion, said the case was not about abortion rights, but private rights of action under the Medicaid act.

Lawyers for Kansas tried to argue that the ruling by the lower court would allow Medicaid beneficiaries the right to go to federal court to challenge a state over whether a provider qualifies for Medicaid, and bypasses state administrative review.

Information from the Associated Press and SCOTUSBlog was used in this report.