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Highlights of New Laws Related to Medicine that Took Effect January 1

Jan 6, 2025
 

Illinois kicked off 2025 with 293 new laws now in effect!

ISMS has compiled some of the notable health-related bills that initiate January 1, including insurers are now required to offer physicians multiple payment options for reimbursements, treatment needs of infants born with prenatal substance exposure, restrictions on advertising for youth vaping and curtailing remote sales of e-cigarettes.

While not directly related to medicine, you might also be interested to know that under the new laws it will be easier for you to cancel your gym membership, the Secretary of State will issue digital drivers licenses or state IDs in addition to physical cards, and corporal or physical punishment of children is banned in all Illinois schools.

Here are ISMS’ compiled list of new health-related laws:

Public Health and Safety

  • Family Recovery Plans Public Act 103-0941

    ISMS-backed legislation that establishes the Family Recovery Plans Implementation Task Force within Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to address the treatment needs of infants born with prenatal substance exposure. Makes further changes to clarify that a finding of prenatal substance exposure does not solely demonstrate evidence of child abuse or neglect.
     
  • Human Rights – Health DecisionsPublic Act 103-0785

    Prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual's reproductive health decisions by modifying the Human Rights Act.
     
  • E-Cigarettes Remote SalesPublic Act 103-0937

    Prohibits electronic cigarettes purchased by mail, through the Internet or other remote sale methods from being shipped to anyone under 21 in the state other than a distributor or retailer.
     
  • Child Abuse Notice ActPublic Act 103-0813

    Requires certain establishments to post in a conspicuous place, information about child abuse, what it is and how to report it. This information is to be geared for children under 18.
     
  • Youth Vaping – AdvertisingPublic Act 103-0910

    Provides that a manufacturer, distributor or retailer may not advertise, market or promote an electronic cigarette in a manner that is likely to cause a person to mistake the electronic cigarette for a product that is not a tobacco product.
     
  • Social Work – Opioid AntagonistPublic Act 103-1048

    Allows licensed clinical social workers and licensed social workers to administer opioid antagonists. The law also requires their employer to provide training and regulate the administration of opioid antagonists.
     
  • Repeal Pertussis Vaccine ActPublic Act 103-1010

    Repeals the sections of the Pertussis Vaccine Act requiring an informative pamphlet. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act already requires healthcare providers to provide a pertussis Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) produced by the CDC and providing the IDPH-created pertussis vaccine information in addition to the VIS may do more harm than good because it could make parents and guardians see the pertussis vaccine as "different" from other required vaccines that do not require extra handouts.
     

Financial

  • Electronic Payment FeesPublic Act 103-0618

    Requires insurers and managed care plans to notify healthcare professionals that there are fees associated with the payment method they have chosen and notify the healthcare professional of what the total fee will be before initiating the first payment. The law also requires that insurers offer healthcare professionals multiple payment options for reimbursements, including paper checks and the electronic funds transfer (EFT) process. In addition, the law prohibits insurers from mandating that physicians accept reimbursement via a “virtual credit card,” thus incurring service charges for credit card processing.
     
  • Medical Debt Reporting – FraudPublic Act 103-0648

    This legislation makes it unlawful for a consumer reporting agency to create a report containing any adverse information that the agency knows relates to medical debt incurred by a consumer, or collection action against a consumer to collect medical debt. The bill also makes it illegal for agencies to maintain files on consumers containing information related to medical debt.
     

Advance Care Planning

  • Advance Directive RegistryPublic Act 103-0908

    Creates a statewide electronic registry of Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment Forms describing a patient’s preferred medical treatment.
     

Health Insurance

  • Vaccine Administrator FeePublic Act 103-0918

    Requires all group and individual insurance policies and managed care plans to provide coverage for COVID-19 vaccines, flu vaccines and respiratory syncytial virus vaccines, without any cost to the covered individual.
     
  • Pregnancy TestsPublic Act 103-0870

    Requires all state employee health plans, Medicaid and private insurers to provide coverage for prescribed at-home pregnancy tests, regardless of whether the tests are available as over-the-counter tests.
     
  • Cancer Genetic TestingPublic Act 103-0914

    Requires insurance coverage for evidence-based cancer imaging for individuals with an increased risk of cancer.
     
  • Pap Tests/Prostrate ScreeningPublic Act 103-0030

    Requires health coverage for an annual pap test and annual prostate screening recommended by a physician, regardless of a patient's gender.
     
  • Epinephrine Cost LimitPublic Act 103-0454

    Requires insurance companies to limit the total price of a twin-pack of medically necessary epinephrine injectors to $60 or less.
     
  • Dependent Parent CoveragePublic Act 103-0700

    Requires group or individual policies of accident and health insurance that provide dependent coverage to make that coverage available to the parent or stepparent of the insured.
     
  • Prosthetic Device CoveragePublic Act 103-0512

    Requires health insurance companies to cover a prosthetic or custom orthotic device, regardless of age, that is “medically necessary for the enrollee to perform physical activities, such as running, biking, swimming and lifting weights.”
     
  • Hearing Aid CoveragePublic Act 103-0530

    Requires insurers to cover medically prescribed hearing instruments and related services for all individuals, regardless of age.
     
  • Insurance Alzheimer TreatmentPublic Act 103-0975

    Requires the State Employee Group Insurance Program to cover all medically necessary FDA-approved treatments and medications prescribed to slow the progression of Alzheimer's Disease. This coverage is not subject to step therapy.
     
  • Insurance-Adverse DeterminationPublic Act 103-0656

    Establishes standards regarding the use of algorithmic automated processes as part of a health insurer utilization review process. The new law also clarifies when an individual is entitled to an appeal or external review following the denial of benefits from their health insurance insurer, retaining language that adverse determinations and any subsequent appeal can only be made by a clinical peer.
     

DNA – Victims of a Crime

  • Sexual Assault EvidencePublic Act 103-0792

    Provides that when DNA evidence is collected from a person because the person was a victim of a crime, that specific DNA profile collected in conjunction with that criminal investigation shall not be entered into any DNA database.
     
If you have questions, please contact ISMS Senior Vice President of State Legislative Affairs Erin O'Brien by email.
 
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