More than 300 new laws will go into effect in Illinois in the new year, and dozens of bills could have an impact on the way residents receive and pay for their health care.
Many of the laws will impact services insurance companies that will be required to cover, and others will provide additional methods for patients to help afford medications and procedures.
In recent years, the state has pushed for increased access to mental health care, and another step will be taken in 2024, as the state’s Department of Human Resources and the Board of Education will provide “technical assistance” in increasing availability of mental health resources for students in Illinois schools.
Those resources will be available during the school day, according to officials.
Under the provisions of HB 2719, hospitals will be legally required to screen patients for eligibility for public assistance before sending their accounts to collection agencies.
Here are 64 new laws hitting the books in Illinois
If immigration status concerns arise during that process, hospitals are also required to refer patients to free, unbiased resources for assistance, according to the law.
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There are even laws that pertain to pioneering new therapies for patients, including the “Outdoor Rx Program Act,” which will enable grants from the state to support outdoor, environmental, ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based or outdoor-based therapy programs.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will be required by SB 1563 to “have information available on microplastics, and their effects on aquatic life and human health.
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They must provide information on regulatory action as well, and will submit a report to the governor by October on the issue.
Here is a breakdown of changes coming to the health care system in 2024 in Illinois.
Prescription Drug Changes:
HB 2077: Healthcare providers will be required to send prescriptions electronically for specific controlled substances. The bill also allows patients to obtain medical records from dentists who are closing their practices, among other changes.
HB 3203: Pharmacists may sell fentanyl test stripes over the counter. Test strips may also be distributed by county health departments.
HB 3957: Manufacturers and wholesale drug distributors will be required to abstain from price gouging in the sale of essential off-patent and generic drugs.
SB 1889: When a pharmacist is not present in a pharmacy, a registered pharmacy tech, a registered certified pharmacy technician, a student pharmacist and other support staff are able to dispense prescriptions that have been verified by the pharmacist.
Insurance Changes:
HB 1384: Insurance may not deny coverage for medically necessary reconstructive services that are intended to restore physical appearance.
HB 1565: Insurance must provide coverage for medically necessary vaginal estrogen, and must do so without a deductible, coinsurance, copay or any other cost-sharing that exceeds such payment amounts for treatment of erectile dysfunction.
HB 2130: The Insurance Data Security Law sets parameters for security around information obtained by insurance companies, and allows the state to take remedial action against companies that fail to comply with provisions of the law. The bill also makes changes to notification procedures in the event of a cybersecurity breach.
HB 2799: Insurance providers cannot have a higher standard of clinical evidence for the coverage of proton beam therapy than other types of radiation therapy treatments for cancer.
HB 3202: Insurance policies must cover medically necessary home saliva cancer screenings every 24 months if the patient is asymptomatic and at high risk for the disease.
HB 3955: Patients at University of Illinois Hospitals will not be unduly delayed provisions of their care, whether emergency or screening, to inquire about payment methods or insurance status.
SB 1665: Patients eligible for the Uninsured Patient Discount Act do not need to report guaranteed basic income payments as part of their eligibility check.
Children’s Health:
HB 2519: Hospitals must provide information and materials to voluntarily donate milk to nonprofit milk banks. Those materials must be provided to parents of newborn children upon discharge from the hospital.
HB 3428: Schools shall maintain a supply of opioid antagonists.
HB 3698: IDPH must establish family centers to provide counseling and mental health services to families who are indigent based on behavior or mental health conditions, as determined by IDPH rules.
HB 3809: Insurance shall provide coverage for therapy, diagnostic testing and equipment necessary to increase quality of life for children who have been clinically or genetically diagnosed with any disease, syndrome or disorder that includes low-tone neuromuscular impairment, neurological impairment, or cognitive impairment.
HB 3924: Schools shall provide instruction on the dangers of fentanyl to students in grades 9-12.
HB 3932: Students in grades 9-through-12 shall be educated on allergen safety, including ways of recognizing symptoms and signs of an allergic reaction, and steps to take to prevent exposure to allergens, and how to safely administer epinephrine.
SB 0067: Hospitals will be reimbursed for newborn screening tests for the presence of metachromatic leukodystrophy. The genetic disorder causes fatty substances to build up, particularly in the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves, and eventually causes the brain and nervous system to lose function because the myelin, which protects those nerves, is damaged.
SB 0188: Parents who consent to the performance upon their child of a health care service are allowed to inspect and copy the child’s records, so long as it is related to the service the parent consented to.
SB 0380: Individuals can bring action against any health care provider who knowingly or intentionally uses non-approved human reproductive material without the patient’s informed written consent.
Senior Citizen Health:
HB 2076: IDPH must adopt criteria to identify distressed nursing home facilities quarterly.
HB 2858: Any person may report information about the suspicious death of an adult to an agency affiliated with the Department on Aging. Employers will not be allowed to discriminate against any employee who makes a good faith oral or written report concerning information about the suspicious death of an eligible adult.
HB 3172: This bill eliminates a law that prevented a person from being accepted for residency in assisted living facilities if the person required sliding scale insulin administration.
SB 0069: Every hospital must adopt an influenza and pneumococcal immunization policy that includes procedures for identifying patients age 50 or older for influenza vaccination and 65 and older for pneumococcal immunization. Previously the law only applied to those 65 and older.
SB 0216: Any guardian responsible for the care of someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is required to complete a one-hour course within six months of appointment, and then once yearly thereafter.
Public Health:
HB 2039: IDPH and DCFS shall, at the request of local health departments, make any and all public health data related to residents of that jurisdiction available for purposes of preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability.
HB 2756: Those seeking licensing for massage therapy will be required to obtain one hour of continuing education related to domestic violence and sexual assault awareness each time they seek a new license or a renewal.
HB 3087: The Director of Agriculture may declare a temporary halt on the sale, movement or exhibition of certain types of animals to prevent the spread of disease in the state. Such declarations can be made in increments of 30 days.
HB 3849: The Department of Agriculture should encourage food manufacturers to use uniform terms to communicate quality dates and safety dates on food packaging.
SB 0836: Each manufacturer of architectural paint must submit a plan for the establishment of a postconsumer paint stewardship program.
SB 0759: Podiatrists may provide vaccinations to individuals age 18 or older after receiving proper training. That can include influenza, tetanus, and COVID-19 vaccinations.
