Lawmakers look to further regulate youth e-cigarette marketing
By PETER HANCOCK,
JENNIFER FULLER
& ALEX ABBEDUTO
Capitol News Illinois
news@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposal for sweeping reforms in the state’s health insurance industry passed out of a committee Thursday and will soon make its way to the full House for consideration.
Pritzker first outlined the proposal in his State of the State address in February, insisting it would “save lives and lower health care costs for millions of Illinoisans.”
The proposals are contained in House Bill 5395, dubbed the Health Care Protection Act. Among its significant elements are a ban on requirements for prior authorization from an insurance company before a patient can receive in-patient treatment at a mental health facility, and a ban on the use of “step therapy” in prescription drug coverage.
Read more: House panel opens hearings on Pritzker’s health insurance reforms
Step therapy, sometimes referred to as “fail first” therapy, refers to the practice of requiring patients to show that cheaper, alternative medicines or treatments are ineffective before they can be authorized to receive the drug or therapy prescribed by their doctor.
Other elements of the bill include a ban on the sale of short-term, limited duration insurance policies that don’t meet minimum standards under the federal Affordable Care Act; a requirement that insurance companies use “generally accepted standards of care” in their utilization review programs; and a requirement that insurers maintain up-to-date lists of in-network providers. The bill also authorizes the Illinois Department of Insurance to approve or reject proposed rate changes in large-group insurance plans.
Pritzker has said he expects stiff opposition from the insurance industry. But bill sponsor Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, said she and other advocates have been working with the industry to develop language that would enable companies to implement the changes.
The bill passed out of the House Human Services Committee with a technical amendment Thursday on a partisan 6-3 vote. Moeller said she intends to bring forth an additional amendment before the bill is voted on by the full House.
