Key Priorities

Throughout the year, ISMS acts as the voice of physicians in Springfield, advocating for issues that shape how medicine is practice in our state. For 2025, ISMS has indentified four areas of focus for our legislative agenda with the goal of protecting the interests of Illinois physicians:

1. Ensure that health insurance companies support rather than obstruct patient access to care.

While Illinois Physicians are committed to working closely with their patients to promote health, well-being, and the best outcomes possible, the health insurance industry continues to delay, deny and obstruct access to care. When physicians and their patients don’t know whether insurers will cover medically necessary care, this uncertainty not only compromises the care physicians can deliver to patients, it also undermines the fragile trust between doctor and patient. Many health insurance companies exert unacceptable power and influence over medical decision-making, all to streamline costs under the guise of “value-based care” (as defined by their actuaries, and not physicians and patients).

ISMS will continue to advocate for new legislation and strengthened enforcement of existing laws aimed at ensuring that health plans support patients’ needs, such as the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act and the Prior Authorization Reform Act. This is critical to protecting Illinois patients’ timely access to primary care physicians and physician specialists and access to the services and treatments recommended by those physicians without delay.

2. Support and promote programs that make practicing medicine in Illinois a desirable option and oppose legislative and regulatory mandates that create unreasonable hurdles for physicians.

Illinois ranks near the bottom third of states in terms of retention of medical students graduating from its medical schools. Illinois is home to nine medical schools and approximately 230 residency programs; yet, up to 70% of medical school graduates and more than 50% of residency program graduates move out of state, taking Illinois’ investment in their medical careers with them. ISMS will advocate for proposals that will improve the licensure process, provide incentives for physicians to practice in underserved areas, and positively address the causes of physician burnout.

Additionally, ISMS will oppose additional CME mandates and other burdensome requirements on physicians and medical practices. Numerous bills are introduced every year related to how physicians should learn about and treat certain medical conditions, how they communicate with patients, and what they should report to the state. Physicians are already subject to numerous mandates and administrative obligations – Illinois does not need to add to the burden of practicing physicians by legislating the practice of medicine or mandating what specific content their CME requirement should include.

3. Preserve the role of physicians as leaders of the healthcare team.

Non-physician practitioners, such as advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants, are valuable members of the healthcare team, but they do not have the education, training and expertise that is required to become a practicing physician. The same is true of pharmacists, who are trained medication experts, but are not trained to diagnose medical conditions or develop appropriate treatment plans. According to a 2021 national survey, 95% of registered voters said it was important to them for a physician to be involved in the diagnosis and treatment decisions for their healthcare. ISMS will continue to oppose legislation that inappropriately expands other healthcare professionals’ scope of practice.

4. Serve as a trusted source of information for our patients and our state's policymakers.

Our patients are increasingly bombarded with mixed messages about things like the power and peril of artificial intelligence in healthcare, medical disinformation about vaccines and other public health-related issues, and the ever-changing peculiarities of health insurance coverage and out-pocket expenses. During these uncertain times, ISMS stands ready to assist our members and their patients to separate disinformation/misinformation from fact. Additionally, ISMS will work to ensure that our state legislators and other government officials fully understand how such misinformation can adversely impact policymaking and patient access to medically necessary healthcare.