Attorney General Kwame Raoul, together with 21 other attorneys general, has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. The coalition is challenging regulations from the Trump administration in 2017 and 2018 that expanded religious and moral exemptions to the Affordable Care Act’s requirement for employer health plans to provide no-cost contraception coverage.
The brief urges the appellate court to uphold a district court ruling that found these regulations unlawful. According to Raoul, “Contraceptives are safely used and relied upon by millions of American women as a fundamental part of their health care plans. I will continue to fight any attempt to water down the affordability protections contained in the Affordable Care Act that would diminish access to health care for Illinois residents.”
Raoul and his colleagues argue that these regulations could remove contraceptive coverage for hundreds of thousands of women, affecting both their health and state economies. More than 80% of women aged 18-49 have used some form of contraception in the past year. With annual costs averaging $584 per user, it is estimated that individuals could face an additional $73.8 million burden if required to pay out-of-pocket due to these regulatory changes.
The attorneys general also warn that states may need to spend millions more on state-funded programs as a result. Access to birth control has already declined since these rules were implemented, with funding cuts affecting clinics providing reproductive health services and new abortion restrictions further limiting options for unintended pregnancies.
They point out that these regulations worsen existing disparities based on race, gender, and income. People living in so-called “contraceptive deserts,” who are disproportionately people of color or low-income individuals, already struggle with limited access; about 19 million American women live in such areas.
The coalition calls on the court to maintain protections against what they see as unlawful restrictions on contraceptive care: “Raoul and the coalition urge the court to affirm the district court’s judgment striking down the Trump administration’s regulations, and protect access to birth control and contraceptive care for hundreds of thousands of women across the country.”
This action aligns with broader efforts by Raoul’s office—detailed on its official website—to advocate for vulnerable groups including workers, immigrants, seniors, promote safer communities, support crime victims through partnerships with law enforcement, handle consumer complaints each year, offer civil rights services like complaint filing for fraud or discrimination cases, extend advocacy throughout Illinois communities statewide, and address environmental concerns.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont Virginia and Washington joined Raoul in this legal effort.