Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with 21 other attorneys general, has filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit to uphold a district court ruling that found certain Trump administration regulations unlawful. These regulations, issued in 2017 and 2018, expanded religious and moral exemptions allowing employers to deny no-cost contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Raoul stated, “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.”
The coalition argues that these regulations threaten contraceptive coverage for hundreds of thousands of women, increasing health risks and financial burdens on individuals and states. They note that over 80% of women between ages 18 and 49 have used some form of contraception in the past year. With average annual costs at $584 per user, they estimate that individuals could face $73.8 million in added expenses if employer-provided coverage is lost.
States may also face increased costs as they would need to provide replacement contraceptive services through state-funded programs. The brief highlights how access to birth control has already declined since these rules were enacted and warns that further restrictions on reproductive health care—especially after recent abortion law changes—could worsen this trend.
The attorneys general emphasize that reduced access disproportionately affects people of color and those with low incomes, many of whom live in “contraceptive deserts” without reasonable access to care. An estimated 19 million American women live in such areas, making it even harder for them to obtain necessary services.
Raoul’s office has advocated for vulnerable groups such as workers, immigrants, and seniors across Illinois (official website). The office handles thousands of consumer complaints each year (official website) and works to protect consumers, promote safer communities, and support environmental rights issues (official website). Additionally, it partners with law enforcement agencies to support crime victims and open government initiatives (official website), while offering services like complaint filing for consumer fraud or civil rights violations (official website).
Joining Raoul in filing the brief are attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.