Good morning! It was an interesting week watching Committee hearings virtually.
Illinois front:
Similar to last week, there are a number of bills scheduled to be heard in committees next week. Please see the list below.
The Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to meet next week. The House continues to hold virtual Committee hearings Monday – Friday. The full Senate met this week with COVID protocols in place. The full House may return in April.
Please see the Chamber website for a complete list of the key bills the individual councils are monitoring. Bill Tracking | Illinois Chamber Action (ilchamberaction.org) The Healthcare Council is currently tracking approximately 120 bills. The bills fall into several general categories: Health Care Reform, Telehealth, Prescription Drugs/PBMs, Medicaid reform, Behavioral Health, Utilization Management (including Prior Authorization reform), DOI Initiatives and Coverage Mandates.
Healthcare Committees Scheduled Next Week:
03-15-21 House Insurance 10:00 am
HB 33 - Insurance Code (Substance Abuse Treatment)
HB 61 - Insurance Code (Inhalants)
HB 146 – Individual & Small Group Rates
HB 228 - Insurance Code (Discrimination – Felony)
HB 242 – Insurance Code (Guaranty Association)
HB 317 – Insurance Code (Air Ambulance Services)
HB 339 – Limited Duration Health Insurance
HB 707 – Telehealth Insurance Coverage
HB 1779 – Biomarker Testing
HB 1955 – Holding Company Systems
HB 1956 – Insurance Code – Reinsurance Credits
HB 1957 – DOI Initiative – various clean up changes
HB 2370 – Cost Sharing – cap the copay
HB 2405 – Guaranty Fund
HB 2406 – Coverage for COVID 19 Vaccine
HB 2472 – Pediatric Disorders Report
HB 2473 – Cancer Screening and removes physician recommendation or prescription
HB 2649 – Mandates coverage for TMJ
HB 2653 – Mandates first dollar coverage for colonoscopy
HB 2930 – Mandates coverage for pediatric disorders or pay damages
HB 2948 – Health Saving Accounts
HB 2992 – DOI to conduct a study to understand gaps in coverage for uninsured
03-16-21 House Health Care Availability & Accessibility 8:30 am
HB 62 - Health Care for All
03-16-21 House Human Services 3:00 pm
HB 1908 – Medicaid MCO – must cover referrals
HB 1909 – Medicaid MCO – Primary Care
03-16-21 House Prescription Drug Affordability 12:00 pm
HB 1745 – Insurance Prescription Drug Benefit
HB 2919 – PBM
03-16-21 Senate – Health 4:00 pm
SB 455 – Medicaid MCO reduced payments
03-16-21 Senate - Behavioral and Mental Health 5:00 pm
Virtual Rom 3: www.ilga.gov
SB 1623 – Medicaid Mental Health – Meds
03-17-21 House – Health Care Licenses 9:00 am
HB 135 – Insurance Code – Birth control
03-17-21 House – Labor and Commerce 12:00 pm
HB 580 – Nurse Compact Act
03-18-21 House Prescription Drug Affordability 10:00 am
HB 1745 – Prescription Drug Benefits
HB 2919 – PBM
03-18-21 Senate – Insurance 11:30 am
SB 147 – Medicare Open Enrollment
SB 493 – Electronic Transactions in Dental Care Billings Act
SB 499 – Optional Coverage for TMJ
03-19-21 House Mental Health & Addiction 10:00 am
HB 2595 – Mental Health
03-19-21 House Appropriations-Human Services 12:00 pm
HB 66 – Medicaid – end Managed Care
03-19-21 House Medicaid & Managed Care 12:01 pm
HB 66 – Medicaid – end Managed Care
03-19-21 House Insurance 2:00 pm
Telehealth in the wake of COVID-19
Federal front:
On Thursday, the President signed the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill into law. The bill includes $1400 direct payments to most Americans, vaccine distribution efforts, school reopenings, enhanced unemployment benefits through September, state and local government relief, expansion of the child tax credit and an expansion of ObamaCare, among many other provisions. Biden signs $1.9 trillion relief bill into law | TheHill
Modern Healthcare is reporting the COVID relief bill is a gain for insurers because of the expansion of Affordable Care Act subsidies (temporarily includes people with incomes above 400% of the federal poverty level) and allows laid-off workers to keep their coverage through COBRA (coverage at 100% of the costs of COBRA through September 30). The bill also provides two years of additional federal funding to encourage Medicaid expansion in the 12 states that have not extended coverage to adults. What providers and insurers can expect from the latest COVID-19 relief bill (modernhealthcare.com)
List of key dates:
April 23 – Bill Crossover Deadline
May 31 – Adjournment
