Illinois enacts safeguard for abortion patients, providers

CHICAGO (AP) — Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed into law sweeping reproductive health care legislation to protect out-of-state abortion seekers, adding Illinois to the list of states that have placed legal reinforcements around the procedure after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

In addition to shielding reproductive and gender-affirming health care patients and providers from legal action originating across state lines, the act will also protect the Illinois licenses of health care providers licensed in multiple states who provide treatment legal in Illinois but may cost them their license in a state where it’s not. The measure also prevents insurers from charging more for out-of-network care when in-network providers object to treatment on moral grounds.

“Here in Illinois, we know that reproductive care is health care,” Pritzker said. “A medical decision should be made between a patient and their health care provider.”

Since the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision in June left abortion legalization up to the states, Planned Parenthood of Illinois has seen people seeking treatment from 33 states, compared with 10 to 15 before the ruling. Planned Parenthood spokesperson Mary Jane Maharry said roughly 30% of its patients are from outside of Illinois, compared to about 6% pre-Dobbs.

Following the high court's decree, many Illinois lawmakers and advocacy groups urged Pritzker to call a special legislative session to bolster Illinois' protections. Instead, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch formed working groups on abortion and other top priorities, including one which led to a ban on semiautomatic weapons Pritzker signed into law Tuesday.

The so-called Dobbs Decision working group was led by Chicago Democratic Rep. Kelly Cassidy. Speaking before...