An Illinois state circuit judge has ruled against the Illinois Baptist State Association (IBSA), requiring the group to provide health insurance benefits that cover abortion. The ruling was made four years after the IBSA initially filed the suit against the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDI), claiming that the requirement violated their religious freedom.
On Sept. 4, Sangamon County Seventh Circuit Judge Christopher G. Perrin ruled IBSA did not prove the law “imposes a substantial burden on their religious beliefs. Given the availability of alternative insurance options that exclude abortion coverage, the Association’s argument under (the religious freedoms act) lacks the necessary proof of coercion or compulsion required to sustain their claim,” IllinoisBaptist.org reported.
IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams said he expects IBSA will appeal the decision with help from the Thomas More Society, which represented the group in its suit.
Under the Illinois Reproductive Healthcare Act, health insurance plans regulated by the law that covers pregnancy-related care must also cover abortion. “The Sept. 4 ruling discounts the beliefs of over 150,000 Illinois Baptists, as well as all Illinoisans who hold these same sacred convictions, by requiring all insurance coverage in our state to pay for abortion on demand, without a clear pathway for religious exemptions for churches or faith-based ministries,” Adams said.
“We stand by our position that the Reproductive Health Act is inconsistent with the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act,” Adams added. “Illinois Baptist cooperating churches have consistently expressed their conviction that abortion is in opposition to their sincerely held religious beliefs. We are deeply disappointed in the ruling.”
Illinois has some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the country, allowing the procedure throughout the second trimester. Currently, abortion is legal until viability—although that milestone is not well-defined in state law and can be as late as 28 weeks. But late-term exceptions include saving the life of the mother and also general health, which can include mental health. Minors can also undergo abortions without parental consent or notification.
Photo: Adobe Stock