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Spring Session Legislative Priorities

April 19, 2024

ISMS is busy in Springfield representing the interests of Illinois physicians in several pieces of legislation currently under consideration in the House and Senate. ISMS supported the introduction of SB 3732 – removing prior authorization for drugs used to treat chronic conditions and long-term illnesses.

In terms of controlled substance and prescription legislation, ISMS supported the introduction of HB 5373, a bill to help patients with chronic pain, as well as SB 3741, a bill to remove prior authorization for higher doses of buprenorphine. Both laws address physician’s freedom to prescribe controlled substances as they feel appropriate and most beneficial to their patient populations. We also supported the introduction of HB 4874, an effort to ensure that pharmacists do not deny prescriptions for controlled substances solely because they are not prescribed electronically. Additionally, ISMS opposes SB 3701, an expansion of the mandate to check the prescription monitoring program, which would expand the scope of the existing mandate to include all controlled substances, not just opioids.

ISMS remains active on the scope of practice front, opposing SB 3114/HB 4637 – Physician Assistant Independent Practice, SB 3336/HB 4822 – Pharmacists Treating for Flu, and HB 3721 – Naturopaths Practicing Traditional Medicine, all of which would represent encroachments into the practice domain of trained and licensed physicians.

Finally, ISMS is supporting Governor Pritzker’s major healthcare reform initiative, the Healthcare Protection Act (HB 5395/SB 3739). This legislation will add clear enforcement mechanisms to the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act to ensure that provider directories are updated on a regular basis with correct information, ban step therapy and require insurers to use generally accepted medical standards of care when deciding whether to cover a treatment recommended by a doctor.

Visit the ISMS website for information on how you can find your legislator and get active in grassroots advocacy surrounding these issues. Visit the Illinois General Assembly website to learn more about these bills.

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