Governor Pritzker Signs Birth Equity Act (H.B. 5142),New Legislation Mandates Comprehensive Abortion Coverage in Illinois
Media Contact:
Eleanor Grano, Communications Manager, Chicago Abortion Fund
Email: eleanor@chicagoabortionfund.org (cc: info@chicagoabortionfund.org)
Phone: 312-219-1611
Joanna Klonsky, Personal PAC
Email: press@joannaklonsky.com
Phone: 312-307-0840
CHICAGO, IL — July 29, 2024 — This morning, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Birth Equity Act (H.B. 5142), a bill passed by both the House and Senate in Illinois in May. This legislation aims to ensure comprehensive reproductive health care access, including abortion care, across the state.
The Birth Equity Act mandates health insurance in Illinois cover abortions and other pregnancy-related care without extra costs like copays or deductibles. It includes coverage for abortions, pregnancy, postpartum, and newborn care. Support from doulas and midwives is also covered, including home births, with limits. Insurance will cover up to 16 visits before and 16 visits after a birth, miscarriage, or abortion, with a maximum of $8,000 for doula visits for each pregnancy.
Key Abortion Provisions of the Birth Equity Act:
Abortion Coverage: Illinois based health insurance must cover abortion care without extra costs like copays or deductibles.
Medications: Coverage includes abortion medications.
Exceptions: Apply if it affects eligibility for health savings accounts (HSAs). This means that if covering abortion care without cost-sharing would disqualify a high-deductible health plan from being eligible for an HSA, the plan may have some cost-sharing.
Implementation Dates: Most changes take effect on January 1, 2026, with Medicaid and doula services changes starting on January 1, 2025.
Since the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) has heard from 4,135 Illinois callers who needed support accessing abortion care. Of these individuals, over 20% had private Illinois insurance. The average CAF pledge to support Illinois private insurance holders with appointment costs since Dobbs is over $600. Within that group, those who required hospital-based abortion care received an average appointment cost pledge of close to $2,700.
Alicia Hurtado, Movement Building Director at the Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF), issued the following statement:
“Access to the full spectrum of pregnancy, postpartum, and newborn care is life-saving and life-affirming – especially for Black and indigenous communities, young people, low-income communities, and other systemically oppressed groups that are facing higher barriers to healthcare and disproportionate pregnancy-related mortality and morbidity rates. Since the Dobbs decision, over 20% of CAF’s Illinois-based callers have had private insurance coverage, but faced an average of over $600 in appointment costs due to prohibitively expensive copays and deductibles. By including abortion care as an integral piece of birth equity, this bill will help ensure that our callers, and all Illinoisans, can choose if, when, and how to parent with dignity. We are grateful for our elected officials and their efforts to advance abortion access, as well as the strong coalition of providers and advocates in this state, who partnered to advance this work.”
Sarah Garza-Resnick, CEO at Personal PAC (PPAC), issued the following statement:
“This bill is groundbreaking because it positions abortion care as inseparable from the full spectrum of pregnancy, postpartum, and newborn care. At Personal PAC, we work with providers and advocates every day who know this is the reality. All Illinois families deserve the care that this bill provides, regardless of their income level. We are so thankful to Governor J.B. Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton for championing H.B. 5142, to the Illinois Senate and House leadership and chief co-sponsors, and to CAF for their incredible partnership."
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The Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) isn't just an organization; we're a movement. For 38 years, we've been tearing down barriers to abortion care in Chicago, the Midwest, and beyond. We're not just providing funding; we're supporting our callers in accessing freedom, dignity, and autonomy.
CAF offers support for clients seeking abortions including, procedure funding, travel and related needs like childcare, emotional support and logistical expertise.The organization has relationships with 75+ abortion clinics across 12 states, and supports people nationwide. Since the Dobbs decision, CAF has fielded over 20,000 support requests and distributed close to $7 million in direct assistance.
Personal PAC is the only non-partisan political organization in Illinois fighting to elect pro-choice, pro-abortion leaders to every level of government across the state. We work to elect pro-choice advocates to office and then hold them accountable to pass strong protections for reproductive rights and expand access to abortion and reproductive healthcare across Illinois.