Good afternoon and hope everyone had a great weekend!
Illinois front:
Last week was a busy week in Springfield as the House and Senate continued to hold virtual Committee hearings. Friday was the deadline for House committees to pass final substantive bills or be returned to Assignments/Rules. The Senate deadline was extended to April 16th. The House met on Thursday and the Senate met 3 days. Both the House and Senate are on Spring Break until April 12th. The Senate is scheduled to return April 13th. The House does not have any additional session dates scheduled at this time. The House may return mid-April.
Several bills the Healthcare Council has been tracking passed out of Committee including:
- HB 317 – Insurance Code (Air Ambulance Services)
- HB 1779 – Biomarker Testing
- HB 2405 – Guaranty Fund
- HB 2406 – Coverage for COVID 19 Vaccine
- HB 2595 – Mental Health
- HB 2653 – Mandates first dollar coverage for colonoscopy
- HB 2948 – Health Saving Accounts
- HB 3308 – Telehealth Services
- HB 3498 – Telehealth Services
- HB 3598 – Insurance Chambers of Commerce
- HB 3709 – Infertility Coverage
- HB 3794 – Cap OOP for diabetic self-management supplies
The Chamber has requested to participate in the telehealth stakeholder meetings that will be held in April. The Chamber is also discussing SB 2008/HB 3630 regarding PBMs with various stakeholders.
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 the Week of April 12th:
I will add as soon as the Committee schedules are posted.
Federal front:
Modern Healthcare reports the Biden administration on Tuesday extended the exchange special enrollment period until Aug. 15, giving consumers in 36 states three more months to signup for coverage through HealthCare.gov.
According to CMS, the change will allow more people to take advantage of greater financial assistance for marketplace plans under the American Rescue Plan. About 1 in 4 people who enroll in coverage through the federal website will be able to upgrade to a plan with lower out-of-pocket costs or a lower premium than their current plan, the agency said. Consumers can cash in on the additional savings starting April 1. CMS extends open enrollment period until Aug. 15 (modernhealthcare.com)
Save The Date: Chamber Day
The Illinois Chamber will be hosting the annual Chamber Day event on April 14th-15th through a virtual format. View the link below for the necessary registration info. We hope to see you there!
List of key dates:
March 26 – House substantive bills out of committees or to assignments/rules
April 14-15 – Annual Illinois Chamber Day – virtual event
April 16 - Senate substantive bills out of committees
April 23 – Bill Crossover Deadline
May 31 – Adjournment
