{"id":225375,"date":"2020-06-10T17:12:36","date_gmt":"2020-06-10T22:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=225375"},"modified":"2020-06-10T17:12:36","modified_gmt":"2020-06-10T22:12:36","slug":"religious-groups-businesses-sue-illinois-abortion-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/religious-groups-businesses-sue-illinois-abortion-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"Religious groups and businesses sue Illinois for mandating abortion insurance coverage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On June 10th, the Thomas More Society, a national nonprofit public interest law firm,\u00a0filed a lawsuit<\/a> challenging the 2019 Illinois Reproductive Health Act’s<\/a> mandate that all Illinois<\/a> insurance plans cover medical and surgical abortions. The lawsuit was filed in the Sangamon County Circuit Court on behalf of the Illinois Baptist State Association, the Southland Smiles dental practice and its owner Dr. Richard Mantoan, and the Rock River Cartage freight company and its owner Curt House. Governor J.B. Pritzker, the Department of Insurance, and the department’s director Robert Muriel were named as defendants.<\/p>\n

One aspect of Illinois’ abortion law<\/a>, passed along party lines last summer, is mandated coverage of either medication or surgical abortion by any employer who also provides pregnancy-related coverage. The law applies both to public and private health insurance companies, leaving no exemption or alternative for employers, employees, or companies.<\/p>\n

In a video statement, Nate Adams, Executive Director of the Illinois Baptist State Association, said that the association represents nearly 1,000 churches, church plants, and mission congregations:<\/p>\n

Our churches believe that abortion represents a grave injustice… and believe that society has a responsibility to affirm, through the laws of the state, a high view of the sanctity of human life, including fetal life, in order to protect those who cannot protect themselves…. <\/em><\/p>\n

Compelling the Association to provide and pay for coverage of abortion is a violation of the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Illinois Healthcare Right of Conscience Act. This Association cannot morally participate in the funding of abortion, which we declare to be in conflict with our deeply held beliefs. The state of Illinois is forcing us to do that, and that is illegal.<\/em><\/p>\n