BATON ROUGE - A federal judge questioned why Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration removed Planned Parenthood from Louisiana's Medicaid program if its clinics are competent to provide health care services.

The questioning from U.S. District Judge John deGravelles came at a Wednesday hearing as he considers a request from Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast to block Jindal's efforts.

The judge asked a lawyer for state health secretary Kathy Kliebert if it seemed "fundamentally wrong" to disrupt patient care when the facilities haven't proven inadequate.

Kliebert's lawyer Stephen Russo said the Jindal administration used a state law that allows cancellation of a Medicaid provider agreement with 30-day notice.

The health department agreed not to stop Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood's New Orleans and Baton Rouge clinics until Sept. 15, while deGravelles considers the restraining order request.