The Illinois Reproductive Health Act protects access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion.
Specifically, the Reproductive Health Act:
- Recognizes that each person has a fundamental right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including contraception, abortion, and maternity care. This includes birthing decisions like whether to have an induction, epidural anesthesia, or cesarean surgery.
- Updates Illinois’ outdated law. The state should treat abortion, contraception and maternal care like all other health care, with regulations that reflect current medical standards.
- Codifies current standards of medical practice on who can perform abortions.
- Requires private health insurance plans in Illinois to cover abortion like they do other pregnancy related care.
- Allows private insurance policies to charge a co-pay or other cost-sharing limitations for abortion to the same extent as for other pregnancy related care.
- Repeals laws that are not in effect and not enforced because of court rulings, such as the “Partial-birth” Abortion Ban Act. The federal “Partial-birth” Abortion ban will remain in effect and cannot be changed by state law.
- Specifies that the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act permits conscience-based refusals to provide, refer, or participate in abortion care. This includes health care providers and facilities as well as insurance companies.
