(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A big change is coming to health insurance for Illinois residents in the new year.
The Health Care Protection Act is aimed at safeguarding patients and their doctors from predatory insurance practices.
It cracks down on step therapy, which forces patients to try cheaper treatments first, even if their doctor recommends something else.
“For too long, insurance companies have used predatory tactics to make an extra dime at the expense of Illinois consumers. For too long, patients have delayed or been denied medically necessary treatments,” Gov. JB Pritzker said after signing the bill into law back in July.
“For too long, shoddy networks, price gouging, and overly complicated bureaucracies have stood in the way of our families getting the care that they deserve. With my signature, Illinois is addressing and rectifying that problem.”
The new law also blocks insurers from requiring pre-approval for emergency mental health care and gives the state more power to regulate premium hikes.
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