Turner: We put patients first here in Illinois
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SPRINGFIELD – Anesthesia services, regardless of duration, will be covered by insurance companies under a new law sponsored by State Senator Doris Turner.
“Insurance coverage isn’t a timeshare, and companies shouldn’t have the ability to sell plans that burden people,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “Patients’ health needs to be the top priority for insurance companies, not lining their own pockets.”
House Bill 1141 requires private insurers and all state group health plans to cover medically necessary anesthesia services, regardless of duration, for any procedure covered by the policy.
Equine therapy will be more accessible under Murphy law
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SPRINGFIELD – Medically necessary equine therapy will soon be covered by health insurance thanks to a law championed by State Senator Laura Murphy.
“There are many effective forms for therapy, but insurance roadblocks and cost barriers often leave patients without access to the care they need,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “Equine therapy can support mental health and emotional growth, and soon it will be available to individuals who could benefit from this treatment but couldn’t afford it.”
Equine therapy encompasses therapies that involve interacting with horses, including specific therapies used by physical, occupational and speech therapists to engage different sensory responses for patients. It has shown positive effects for people living with PTSD, autism and many other conditions.
Read more: Equine therapy will be more accessible under Murphy law
Villa law addresses congenital syphilis cases
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SPRINGFIELD – A new law led by State Senator Karina Villa will address increased congenital syphilis cases in Illinois.
“This law upholds best practices to mitigate the alarming trend of rising congenital syphilis cases across Illinois,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “We must continue to support the health and safety of an expecting parent and their child every way we can.”
The law requires the second syphilis test conducted on pregnant individuals to be done between 27 and 32 weeks of pregnancy to ensure treatment can begin at least 30 days before delivery. The law also expands authorization to administer the test to health care professionals who are qualified in addition to physicians.
ICIJA grant approvals to have quicker turnaround times under Cervantes law
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SPRINGFIELD – Thanks to a new law led by State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes, applicants for grants through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICIJA) will soon see faster turnarounds on their approvals.
“The current bureaucratic process around grading ICIJA grant applications puts an unnecessary burden on workers and can delay the grants being awarded,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This measure is a long overdue update that will ensure the grant application process is efficient for all parties.”
ICIJA utilizes volunteer workers to score grant applications — a rule intended to keep the process unbiased. However, this can lead to lengthy delays due to dips in volunteer work, or unreliable expertise levels in the grading process.
Read more: ICIJA grant approvals to have quicker turnaround times under Cervantes law
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SPRINGFIELD — To reinforce the supportive role of the Department of Children and Family Services, State Senator Robert Peters led a new law to remove the agency’s authority to operate its own law enforcement agency. “Families who are in need of DCFS’ s...
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