Illinois House passes health insurance legislation

Posted on April 19, 2024
Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, Gov. JB Pritzker and State Rep. Anna Moeller. (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – It’s on to the Senate for health insurance legislation which passed the Illinois House Thursday night. Gov. JB Pritzker had a postgame celebration in his office.

“The bill’s purpose is to make quality care easier to access for patients,” Pritzker said, “and to increase accountability in insurance companies. For far too long. insurance companies and not doctors have been free to determine what treatment options patients could have and how quickly they can receive it.

“With this bill, we’re putting power back into the hands of doctors and patients.”

During the floor debate, sponsoring State Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) had a top member of Pritzker’s staff by her side. Emily Miller is the mother of a little girl with asthma.

“She was subjected to step therapy,” said Moeller, “when trying to access an inhaler that worked for her daughter, and she was forced to use the least expensive form of treatment available because of her insurer. Because of that, she got sicker and sicker and had to go to an emergency room.”

HB 5495 has passed the House, 81-25-2.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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