A coalition of pro-life and Christian organizations is suing the state of Illinois over its law requiring health insurers to cover elective abortions and abortion-inducing drugs.
The law being contested is the Birth Equity Initiative, which was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker in July. It mandates that Illinois-based health insurance companies, both private and Medicaid, must cover induced, elective abortion with no co-pays or deductibles — which means these costs are absorbed in higher premiums and passed down to the consumer.
The plaintiffs, which include Illinois Right to Life, Students for Life of America, Midwest Bible Church, Pro-Life Action League, Clapham School, and DuPage Precision Products, are being represented by Thomas More Society. They contend that the law violates the free exercise and expressive association rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, along with numerous federal statutes. Named in the lawsuit are Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Department of Insurance Acting Director Ann Gillespie.
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“For Christians and many other pro-life advocates, Illinois’ abortion-coverage mandate is fundamentally opposed to their religious beliefs and runs roughshod over their constitutionally protected conscience rights,” stated Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation, in a press release. “Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his administration are on an uncompromising campaign to transform the Land of Lincoln into the nation’s abortion capital. In doing so, they have shown little-to-no regard for the rights of those who believe that all human life is worth protecting. We are proud to represent this coalition of clients in challenging this unconscionable mandate. There’s no reason for pro-life individuals and organizations to be denied the option to choose an insurance policy that exempts them from covering others’ elective abortions.”
“Illinois Right to Life exists to ensure the fundamental right to life is respected and protected from conception until natural death,” added Illinois Right to Life executive director Jaclyn Cornell. “Being forced to pay health insurance premiums that are used to fund abortion is in direct opposition to our organization’s sole purpose.”
Raoul responded that Illinois officials will defend the ability to kill preborn children, and to make organizations pay for it regardless of their conscience or religious beliefs.
“I am committed to continuing to protect reproductive rights and preventing Illinois patients from facing such a nightmare,” he said in a statement to the Chicago Tribune. “I am equally committed to protecting access to coverage for reproductive health care that includes abortion, because cost should not stand in the way of patients receiving critical abortion care.”
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