March 21, 2022
I hope everyone had a nice weekend! We were just getting back from Spring Break and watched some great basketball!
Session Update:
The House was in session last week and the Senate was off. There were a few health related issues that passed committees. Both the House and Senate return on Tuesday and are in session through Friday. Friday is the deadline for bills originating in the opposite chamber to pass out of committee.
Bills we are watching closely this week:
HB 4175 INS-HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE, deadline was extended to March 31, 2022. Amends the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange Law. Provides that the Department of Insurance has the authority to operate the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange. Provides that the Director of Insurance may require plans in the individual market to be made available for comparison on the exchange, but may not require all plans be purchased exclusively on the exchange. Provides that the Director may require that plans offered on the exchange conform with standardized plan designs. Provides that the Director may apply a monthly assessment to each health benefits plan sold in the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange according to specified rates. Provides that the Director shall establish an advisory committee to provide advice to the Director concerning the operation of the exchange and that the advisory committee shall include specified members. Provides that the Department shall also have the authority to coordinate the operations of the exchange with the operations of the State Medicaid program and the FamilyCare Program to determine eligibility for those programs as soon as practicable. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules. Removes provisions concerning small employer health insurance coverage and markets. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2023.
Bills of Interest with Action last week:
SB 2963, INS Group Life passed out of the House Insurance Committee by a vote of 14-0-0. This bill provides that if active employment is a condition of a policy of group life insurance, in order to be delivered in the State the policy must contain provisions that state that continued coverage for specified active employees will remain in effect until the earliest of specified dates, and specified obligations of the replacing carrier may be limited to the amount for which the employee was covered under the prior carrier's group life insurance policy and may be reduced by any amounts payable under the prior carrier's group life insurance policy.
SB 3819, Pediatric Palliative Care passed out of the House Insurance Committee by a vote of 14-0-0. This bill provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2024 (rather than after the effective date of the amendatory Act) shall provide coverage for community-based pediatric palliative care and hospice care and that the care shall be delivered to any qualifying child with a serious illness by a trained interdisciplinary team that allows a child to receive community-based pediatric palliative and hospice care while continuing to pursue curative treatment and disease-directed therapies for the qualifying illness.
Committees Scheduled the Week of March 21st:
View the Senate Committee schedule for next week here. View the House committee schedule here.
Weekly GAP Call
The Chamber will host a Government Affairs Professionals (GAP) call on Monday, March 7th at 3:00 pm. We will provide you the latest updates on what legislation we are watching this Spring. Call in information is provided below.
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer or mobile app
Or call in (audio only)
Phone Conference ID: 463 563 254#
List of Key Dates:
Bills Out of Committee, Second Chamber: House & Senate-March 25
Third Reading Substantive Bills, Second Chamber: House & Senate-April 1
Adjournment: April 8
