New York's high court to hear case on abortion insurance coverage

New York’s highest court is set to hear a lawsuit that seeks to throw out a regulation requiring health insurance policies to cover medically necessary abortions

Abortion New York

New York’s highest court will hear arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit that seeks to throw out a regulation requiring health insurance policies to cover medically necessary abortions — a case that could jeopardize a similar state law.

The lawsuit was filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and other church groups that argue that the rule violates their religious beliefs.

State financial regulators approved the abortion coverage requirement in 2017 and the Legislature codified the rule into law in 2022.

The religious groups are only challenging the state’s regulation, not the law, meaning the coverage will remain in place regardless of the case’s outcome.

But if the Court of Appeals throws out the rule, attorneys in the case said the law could then be challenged using a similar argument, giving the case larger implications for abortion access in New York.