Pritzker signs health reform package into law, banning some insurance company practices
CHICAGO (25News Now) – A series of bills making up the Healthcare Protection Act was signed into law Wednesday morning.
The law outlaws insurance practices that are considered predatory. It does several things.
It bans “step therapy.” It’s a tactic where an insurance company requires and only covers less effective medications and treatment methods for a patient, contrary to a doctor’s first recommendation.
The law prohibits prior authorization for inpatient mental health services, forces insurance companies to be transparent with coverage and prohibits pre-authorization for inpatient mental health services.
Gov. JB Pritzker says the package of bills works to improve the healthcare consumer experience by banning junk insurance plans and ending unchecked rate increases for large group insurance.
“With the signing of these bills, we’re putting power back into the hands of patients and their doctors and out of the grasps of predatory insurance companies who prioritize profits over patient outcomes,” Pritzker said. “Accessing care shouldn’t require endless bureaucracy and navigation, especially when someone is at their most vulnerable, and this legislation will make care more affordable and accessible for millions of Illinoisans.”
Peoria County Coroner and former nurse Jamie Harwood said it took six months to get his child into a behavioral health doctor for the child’s specific needs.
“The [healthcare] provider has done their homework, has done their education, and they know what’s going to be best for that particular person,” said Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood, who is a former nurse. “Then to have an insurance company be the barrier to that and require certain steps is just a detriment.”
A study from 2023 explains that the United States spends more money on healthcare than any other industrialized country yet has the worst health outcomes.
Republican Rep. William Hauter was one of the bill’s sponsors. He said he thinks this is not a partisan issue, and believes this law is a good start.
“We’re tired of this. We’re tired of the pre-authorization abuse,” Hauter said. “We’re tired of the step therapy. We’re tired of the networks that aren’t adequate for the patients that you need to take care of or need to cover.”
The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2025.
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