The Illinois Baptist State Association, or IBSA, is a community of nearly 1,000 Baptist churches, ministries, and missions, dedicated to advancing the Gospel across the Land of Lincoln.
Today, they face a heart-wrenching dilemma. Rooted in their belief that life is sacred from conception, IBSA has provided health insurance as an Illinois employer for its 20-plus employees and retirees for over a century—always excluding abortion coverage.
But Illinois’ 2019 Reproductive Health Act forces IBSA to choose between providing health insurance or funding abortion, directly violating its deeply held faith. (Keep reading to find out how we’re fighting back!)
The RHA mandates that all employer health insurance plans cover chemical and surgical abortions. And anytime they’ve sought an exemption, the reply has been “no.” This abortion coverage mandate has turned IBSA’s commitment to care for its employees into a moral crisis.
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Every premium paid feels like a betrayal of their belief that abortion ends a human life. IBSA has searched desperately for alternatives, exploring self-funded plans and an out-of-state insurer called GuideStone.
But the state’s “solution” is a cruel illusion: From plans that were often unaffordable, to rejecting IBSA due to employee health risks and excluding providers that IBSA’s staff rely on for care.
Moreover, this mandate threatens every pro-life organization in Illinois. By refusing religious exemptions, Illinois joins only Vermont and Washington in enforcing such a draconian policy, while eight of 11 states with similar mandates respect religious employers.
Now, we’re headed back to court to defend the IBSA’s rights, and by extension, the rights of all pro-life employers in Illinois. On August 26, we’ll argue before the Illinois Appellate Court that the RHA’s abortion coverage mandate violates our core religious freedom rights.
Please pray for our legal team as they prepare for this critical hearing. Thank you for joining us to protect conscience rights and the sanctity of life.
