Governor’s Budget Address Pledges to Ban Prior Auth for All Behavioral Healthcare, Reduce Medication Costs for Patients
On Wednesday Governor Pritzker delivered his 7th annual State of the State and budget address to a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly. In his address, the governor announced initiatives related to medicine and intention to:
- Expand on the Healthcare Consumer Access and Protection Act, which was enacted last year, to stop insurance companies from blocking access to mental health by banning prior authorization for all behavioral healthcare. In addition, for rural Illinois families and for those who live far away from certain medical care, health insurance companies would be required to reimburse patients for reasonable travel costs associated with medical appointments when the distance traveled exceeds network adequacy requirements.
- Cancel another batch of medical debt for patients through a program established last year. More than 100,000 Illinoisians have already had their unpaid medical debt covered through the state.
- Introduce the Prescription Drug Affordability Act to rein in the unfair practices of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs); reduce medication costs for Illinois patients; and protect independent pharmacists. This legislation would also give full statutory authority to the Illinois Department of Insurance to examine the books and records of PBMs and require annual reporting and auditing.
If you have questions, please contact ISMS Senior Vice President of State Legislative Affairs Erin O'Brien by email
.