The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday it is launching investigations into 13 states for allegedly violating federal healthcare conscience protections related to abortion services.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights will conduct the investigations, examining whether the states violated federal law that prohibits discrimination against healthcare providers based on their refusal to participate in certain medical procedures on moral or religious grounds.

According to HHS officials, the investigations center on allegations that the 13 states coerced healthcare entities into providing or performing abortion services, potentially violating federal conscience clause protections. These federal protections allow healthcare workers and institutions to refuse to provide services that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs.

The department did not immediately identify which specific states are under investigation or provide details about the particular circumstances that prompted the inquiries. The investigations represent the latest development in ongoing tensions between federal conscience protections and state healthcare policies.

The federal conscience clause has been a subject of debate in healthcare policy, balancing religious freedom protections for providers against patient access to medical services. The HHS investigations will examine whether state actions crossed the line from policy implementation into unlawful coercion of healthcare entities.