By Jason Coon
Imagine a young woman, faced with regret and fear after beginning a chemical abortion, who discovers a compassionate option that honors both her dignity and the life of her unborn child. That option—abortion pill reversal (APR)—aligns profoundly with Catholic values and deserves to be embraced by Catholic employers in their health plans.
Since 2007, the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN), operated by Heartbeat International, has reported that more than 7,000 unborn babies have been saved through APR—an intervention that restores progesterone to counteract the first abortion pill (mifepristone) when the second (misoprostol) has not yet been taken. Remarkably, 1,000 of these lives were saved in just the past seven months, reflecting both rising awareness and demand for this life-affirming care (Catholic News Agency, 2024). These numbers are not just statistics. They represent real mothers who, overwhelmed by regret and yet filled with hope, have embraced a second chance for life.
Legal Challenges to APR
In Colorado, Bella Health & Wellness, a Catholic clinic, has been on the front lines of offering APR. Founded by mother–daughter nurse practitioners, Bella’s practice embodies a faith-rooted commitment to protect life. The clinic offers a progesterone treatment to women who regret taking the first abortion pill and want to continue their pregnancy. Despite methodologically flawed studies arguing otherwise, the progesterone treatment has proven safe and is routinely used to support healthy pregnancies (Becket Fund, 2023).
In 2023, Colorado passed Senate Bill 190, effectively labeling APR “unprofessional conduct” and banning its use in reversing chemical abortions, despite permitting progesterone for miscarriage treatments (Becket Fund, 2023; Federalist Society, 2023). Bella Health promptly challenged the law in court, asserting it violated the Free Exercise and Free Speech rights under the First Amendment, along with due process and equal protection for patients seeking care denied to others in similar medical circumstances (Clearinghouse, 2023).
In a landmark August 1, 2025 ruling, U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Domenico granted a permanent injunction, blocking the enforcement of SB 190 against Bella. Though he acknowledged that APR’s clinical efficacy is debated, he emphasized that the treatment had not harmed anyone and had indeed enabled numerous healthy births, while the state failed to demonstrate a compelling interest in restricting such care (Colorado Politics, 2025; Catholic News Agency, 2025).
Morality of APR
These developments are not merely legal victories—they are affirmations of a compassionate, life-affirming choice, consistent with Catholic Social Teaching and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Catholic Social Teaching emphasizes the dignity of every human person from conception, the preferential concern for the vulnerable, and the importance of solidarity with others—especially toward women experiencing crisis pregnancies. APR exemplifies these principles by extending mercy, supporting women’s autonomy, and protecting the most vulnerable life inside the womb.
The Catechism (paragraphs 2271–2273) upholds the moral duty to protect unborn life and support both the mother and child, especially amid crisis. Offering APR honors these teachings by giving women who regretted early steps in an abortion a morally acceptable path to embrace life.
Moreover, APR is profoundly pro-woman and pro-family. It acknowledges the complexity of women’s experiences, particularly when choices are made under duress or misinformation. APR supports women in making courageous, life-affirming decisions, strengthening and enriching family life by allowing children to be born.
For Catholic employers, providing APR in health and wellness plans is more than just a coverage decision—it is a moral statement. It demonstrates unwavering commitment to life, compassion, and religious freedom. In doing so, Catholic employers can stand as beacons of love in a culture too often fraught with coercion, deception, and rushed medical decisions.
To help employers live out this commitment, here are two examples of how abortion pill reversal coverage can be presented in plan materials—one suited for the formal Summary Plan Description (SPD) and one designed for a more pastoral, employee-facing benefit guide.
Formal SPD Language (compliance-focused)
Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) Treatment
This Plan covers the use of progesterone therapy, when medically appropriate, for members who have initiated a medication abortion and have not yet completed the regimen. Progesterone therapy is intended to support continuation of pregnancy following ingestion of the first abortion medication. Coverage for APR services is provided in alignment with the Plan Sponsor’s Catholic values, which affirm the protection of unborn life and the dignity of the mother.
Employee Benefit Guide Language (pastoral-focused)
Abortion Pill Reversal: A Life-Affirming Option
We recognize that decisions made under stress and fear can sometimes bring regret. If you or someone you love has begun a chemical abortion and desires to continue the pregnancy, this health plan offers coverage for Abortion Pill Reversal (APR). APR involves administering safe and commonly used progesterone therapy, which has already helped save more than 7,000 babies across the country. By covering this treatment, we seek to walk compassionately with women in difficult moments, protecting both mother and child, and providing a real pathway to hope and life.
APR is not just clinically viable—it reflects a faith that acts, offering healing and hope. The 7,000+ lives saved, the legal clarity affirming Bella Health’s right to provide care, and the alignment with deep Catholic convictions all converge into a powerful narrative: APR coverage is both ethically sound and pastorally necessary.
In choosing to support APR, Catholic employers affirm both faith and reason, supporting scientific compassion, religious liberty, and life in its most vulnerable moment.
References
Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. (2023). Bella Health & Wellness v. Weiser. Retrieved from Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser
Catholic News Agency. (2024, August). Abortion Pill Rescue Network reports 7,000 babies saved by reversal drug. Retrieved from Abortion Pill Rescue Network reports 7,000 babies saved by reversal drug | Catholic News Agency
Catholic News Agency. (2025, August). Federal court rules that Catholic nurses can continue abortion pill reversal ministry. Retrieved from Federal court rules Colorado Catholic nurses can continue abortion-pill reversal ministry | Catholic News Agency
Catechism of the Catholic Church. (1997). §§2271–2273. Vatican: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Clearinghouse. (2023). Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser. Retrieved from Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser 1:23-cv-00939 (D. Colo.) | Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse
Colorado Politics. (2025, August 4). Federal judge partially sides with Catholic health clinic on Colorado’s abortion reversal ban. Retrieved from Federal judge partially sides with Catholic health clinic on Colorado’s ‘abortion reversal’ ban
Federalist Society. (2023). Litigation Update: Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser. Retrieved from Litigation Update: Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser