When someone comes to Illinois for legal medical care, they deserve to know their private health information stays private. That's not a political statement — it's basic decency. Right now, other states are trying to reach across our borders and use people's medical records against them for care that is completely legal here. That's not just an attack on abortion access. It's an attack on every patient's right to keep their own health decisions between them and their doctor.
Governor Pritzker just signed a law on June 24th that says Illinois won't hand over patients' digital medical records to out-of-state authorities trying to punish people for getting legal abortions here. This is exactly the kind of protection Illinois families need. The federal Justice Department has already made moves to go after people in states like ours, and providers have real reason to worry. If patients can't trust that their records are safe, they stop seeking care — and that puts lives at risk. If providers fear they'll be dragged into another state's legal fight, they'll leave. We've already seen what happens when doctors leave. We cannot afford to repeat that here.
I'm asking you to publicly support this new law, push back on any effort to weaken or roll it back, and make clear to your colleagues that Illinois will not become a tool for other states to punish our patients and providers.
Please stand firm in protecting our patients' medical privacy — no out-of-state authority should have access to the private health records of people who sought legal care in Illinois.
