{"id":296028,"date":"2023-08-06T13:42:46","date_gmt":"2023-08-06T18:42:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=296028"},"modified":"2023-08-06T21:32:02","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07T02:32:02","slug":"illinois-directs-millions-toward-abortion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/illinois-directs-millions-toward-abortion\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois pours tens of millions of dollars into pro-abortion initiatives"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The state of Illinois announced last Monday its plans to direct approximately $23 million to support abortion as neighboring states enact pro-life restrictions \u2014 and the state\u2019s Democratic governor shows off his pro-abortion bona fides after <\/span>Dobbs<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to <\/span>NPR Illinois<\/span><\/a>, $8 million will go to training \u201creproductive health care providers and a specialty consultation program for at-risk patients.\u201d Another $10 million will go towards creating a hotline for helping people find abortions as the number of out-of-state seekers is expected to increase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another $5 million is intended to create the Complex Abortion Regional Line for Access (CARLA), which Gov. J.B. Pritzker <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> would alleviate the strain on independent clinics. It entails nurses scheduling appointments through hospital systems and providing funding through the Chicago Abortion Fund, which helped announce the program at a press conference by Pritzker on Monday.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a <\/span>press release<\/span><\/a>, the governor\u2019s office also described a new family planning program for Medicaid (emphasis added):<\/span><\/p>\n

The program provides comprehensive coverage for family planning services for people otherwise not eligible for Medicaid based on income threshold. This plan raises the income eligibility above threshold for the regular Medicaid program and includes services such as an annual preventive exam, family planning counseling, all Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved methods of contraception, permanent methods of birth control (tubal ligation or vasectomy), and basic infertility counseling. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Additional examples of services include cervical cancer screening and treatment, screening mammograms, breast cancer gene (BRCA) genetic counseling and testing as applicable, vaccines that support reproductive health, abortion care<\/strong>, and transportation for family planning visits.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Other initiatives include reimbursements for state employees to access abortion if they live out of state. The state\u2019s Reproductive Health Facilities Capital Grant Program also directs $5 million towards \u201creproductive health care providers in Illinois that are experiencing increased demand for their services. The capital grants fund improvements and repairs, new construction, security upgrades, and equipment to increase capacity and enhance safety, which includes the purchase of vehicles for mobile care units.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The investments are just the latest in a series of actions Illinois has taken to protect abortion as other blue states have attempted to do after the Supreme Court overturned <\/span>Roe<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n