Illinois lawmakers pass bill to keep abortion information off medical records

Illinois lawmakers this week passed the Reproductive Health Privacy Act, a bill that will ensure abortion remains off a person's medical record if they so choose.

Key Takeaways:

• House Bill 5295, known as the Reproductive Health Privacy Act, requires health information exchanges to have the technological capability to keep a woman's abortion off her electronic medical record.

• The bill is intended to keep abortions "private," but can also endanger women who may not receive adequate medical care if they are experiencing abortion complications.

The Details:

House Bill 5295, known as the Reproductive Health Privacy Act, "requires health information exchanges to implement policies and technical capabilities...to segregate medical information related to abortion care, restrict access by out-of-state entities, and limit disclosure."

The legislation's intent is to "protect the privacy" of people who obtain abortions in the state, especially those traveling from elsewhere. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Celina Villanueva, claimed the legislation was necessary because people have faced retaliation when traveling from out-of-state to get an abortion in Illinois.

“We’ve heard from patients from other states who have traveled to Illinois and were dropped by their primary care physician once their physician saw, via their electronic medical records, that they got an abortion,” Villanueva claimed.

“The surest way Illinois can protect our residents and their reproductive records is by requiring health information exchanges to implement new policies that keep sensitive information out of bad actors’ hands,” she added.

The bill passed the Senate in a 38-19 vote, and the House in a vote of 73-39. In a statement, Governor JB Pritzker said he looks forward to signing the bill “to fortify the protections around choice and consent, and that anyone receiving safe, legal abortion care here will not be criminalized.”

Zoom In:

One of the dangers of this legislation is that if a woman accesses an abortion in Illinois and then experiences complications after returning to her home state, medical professionals may not be able to properly treat her if they are not aware of her abortion.

 Rep. Bill Hauter, R-Morton, a physician, emphasized this during a House debate earlier in the session.

“We rely, as medical professionals, on the medical record to be complete and accurate and private,” he told The Center Square. “To say that this information is unimportant… ignores real-world scenarios where it could be critical to patient care.”

The Bottom Line:

Over the years, Illinois has passed many bills radically expanding abortion and ensuring women have access to abortions at all costs, while actually disregarding the health and safety of women. This is yet more legislation that prioritizes the profits of abortion over the well-being of women.