Pritzker signs measure to expand abortion coverage, combat Black maternal deaths

Hours after Iowa enacted a six-week abortion ban, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday signed into law a two-fold measure that will further expand both private and Medicaid insurance coverage for abortion services and help close the Black maternal mortality gap by expanding coverage of doulas and midwives. The Birth Equity Act will require Illinois-based health insurance to cover abortion care without co-pays and deductibles, including coverage of abortion medications. And it will cover services such as doulas, lactation consultants and midwives. The measure also included a $1 million diaper distribution program for low-income families.Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, Pritzker and the Democrat-led Illinois General Assembly have further expanded abortion rights in Illinois — seeking to create a safe haven for patients traveling from states that have banned abortions. Pritzker in October also launched Think Big America, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization aimed at protecting and expanding abortion rights in other states.The bill signing in Chicago came hours after Iowa enacted a six-week abortion ban. Neighboring Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky also have abortion bans in place.“Iowa is now the 22nd state in the nation to enact an extreme abortion ban solidifying that one in three women of reproductive age in America now live without access to comprehensive reproductive care,” Stratton said. “The Birth Equity Initiative is Illinois’ way of strengthening protection for the full spectrum of reproductive care. It bolsters our administration’s belief that no government should decide when or if a family grows and ensure that when familyies do expand, both mom and baby have access to care they need to get home safely.”A state report last year revealed Black women in Illinois were three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related medical conditions than white women. Among the key findings were that 91% of pregnancy-related deaths might have been preventable — and more than half of the deaths happened more than 60 days after they gave birth. Most deaths took place in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began. “For too long, we have failed to live up to the promise of equal health care for Black and Brown mothers in the state,” Pritzker said. “... That is appalling and it’s unacceptable, and we’re not going to let that happen anymore in the state of Illinois. It isn’t right that some women are forced to weigh their own mortality or their future health against bringing life into this world.”The initiative, led by Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, invests $15 million in closing the maternal mortality gap through expanding home visits, capital dollars for community-birth centers, a free diaper program and a child tax credit for low-income families. Another $10 million will go towards identifying gaps in funding programs that can reduce adverse maternal health outcomes.Most changes will take effect on January 1, 2026, with Medicaid and doula services to begin on January 1, 2025.The state in February 2024 also began recognizing doulas, midwives and lactation consultants as health care providers — providing women with 16 prenatal visits, up to 16 postpartum visits and support during labor and delivery.Jeanine Valrie Logan, a midwife, is leading the effort to open the Chicago South Side Birth Center, which will offer community-based health care and birth rooms. Logan said the measure will give families greater access to midwives, doulas and mental health services."It's just the beginning," Logan said. "We need to right the course of birth equity across our state, and together, I know we can't be stopped."