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Governor signs Senator Fine measure to ensure coverage of mental health treatment

Details
Category: Senator Laura Fine News
Wednesday, August 25, 2021 02:52 PM
  • Mental Health
  • Fine
  • Substance Use Disorders
  • HB2595
  • Medically Necessary

052521HAO00224SPRINGFIELD – To better support Illinois residents, a law sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) will significantly increase access to medically necessary health care, giving people with mental health and substance use disorders the ability to access treatment sooner, get back on their feet and move forward with the support they need.

“Insurance companies should provide coverage for mental health treatment along the same guidelines as other types of medically necessary treatment,” Senator Fine said. “Breaking down barriers for those seeking mental health treatment by expanding insurance coverage is essential.”

Read more: Governor signs Senator Fine measure to ensure coverage of mental health treatment

Senator Fine legislation to expand birth center accessibility signed into law

Details
Category: Senator Laura Fine News
Monday, August 23, 2021 01:19 PM
  • Fine
  • HB3995

Senator Fine 4 22 21

SPRINGFIELD – Pregnant women will have more options on where to deliver under a new law sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) that establishes a path to permanent licensure for freestanding birth centers.

“Expecting mothers should have the ability to choose their birth style without limitations caused by a lack of freestanding birth center licenses in their area,” Senator Fine said. “Whether a pregnant woman is seeking a certified nurse midwife or they simply want a lower-cost birthing style, lifting the licensure cap for freestanding birth centers will help increase access to birth centers across Illinois.”

Read more: Senator Fine legislation to expand birth center accessibility signed into law

Senator Fine legislation to expand birth center accessibility signed into law

Details
Category: Senator Laura Fine News
Friday, August 20, 2021 05:08 PM
  • Fine
  • Birthing Centers
  • HB3995

Sen. Laura Fine

SPRINGFIELD – Pregnant women will have more options on where to deliver under a new law sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) that establishes a path to permanent licensure for freestanding birth centers.

“Expecting mothers should have the ability to choose their birth style without limitations caused by a lack of freestanding birth center licenses in their area,” Senator Fine said. “Whether a pregnant woman is seeking a certified nurse midwife or they simply want a lower-cost birthing style, lifting the licensure cap for freestanding birth centers will help increase access to birth centers across Illinois.”

Senator Fine’s legislation creates the Birth Center Licensing Act, lifting the current cap on the number of freestanding birth center licenses, so more women, especially those in marginalized communities, have access to the birthing style they prefer. Freestanding birth centers will still be regulated under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act, and licenses will have to be renewed every year.

Read more: Senator Fine legislation to expand birth center accessibility signed into law

Reimbursement for telehealth services expanded to cover epilepsy under Senator Fine law

Details
Category: Senator Laura Fine News
Monday, August 02, 2021 09:21 AM
  • Epilepsy
  • Fine
  • Telehealth
  • HB3025

telehealth 080221SPRINGFIELD – Epilepsy specialists will be able to provide telehealth treatment services with the assurance of reimbursement from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services under a new law sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview).

“Patients seeking telehealth treatment for epilepsy and their providers will no longer have to worry about payment parity for services from home,” Senator Fine said. “Epilepsy specialists delivering the same treatment via telehealth as they would in person should be reimbursed accordingly.”

More than 65 million people around the world are living with epilepsy, according to the Epilepsy Foundation, and many have chosen to seek telehealth treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Fine’s law will ensure epilepsy specialists in Illinois receive the reimbursement they deserve for providing treatment via telehealth to individuals with epilepsy or related disorders.

“The world we are living in could not be more different than the pre-pandemic world, and it’s time to normalize and expand telehealth services,” Senator Fine said. “Illinoisans will now be able to seek timely and proximate treatment for epilepsy from the comfort of their homes without lingering concerns regarding coverage.”

House Bill 3025 was signed into law Friday and takes effect immediately.

Senator Fine measure to protect communities from toxic pavement sealants signed into law

Details
Category: Senator Laura Fine News
Friday, July 30, 2021 04:09 PM
  • Fine
  • SB692
  • Coal Tar Sealant Act

Fine coaltar 041521SPRINGFIELD – To better protect the health of children and all Illinois residents, the use of toxic coal tar-based pavement sealant in construction projects at public schools and state agencies will have to be disclosed under a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview), which was signed into law Friday.

“Children and families across Illinois should be able to live their lives without exposure to cancer-causing chemicals on the playground or at work,” Senator Fine said. “This law will protect our communities today and our environment for years to come.”

Read more: Senator Fine measure to protect communities from toxic pavement sealants signed into law

Infertility treatment coverage expanded to include marginalized women under Senator Fine measure

Details
Category: Senator Laura Fine News
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 03:14 PM
  • Fine
  • Infertility Treatment
  • HB3709

fine press 072721SPRINGFIELD – Insurance coverage for infertility treatment for all women, regardless of marital status, will be accessible under a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview), which was signed into law Tuesday. 

“Every woman in Illinois deserves insurance coverage for infertility treatment,” Senator Fine said. “If a woman is experiencing fertility issues, she should be covered by insurance regardless of her age, medical history, partner status or sexual orientation.”

Current coverage requirements only protect infertility treatments for women under 35 who are unable to become pregnant after one year of trying, women over 35 who are unable to become pregnant after six months, and women who are not medically able to conceive.

Read more: Infertility treatment coverage expanded to include marginalized women under Senator Fine measure

Senator Fine measure to make mental health care more accessible becomes law

Details
Category: Senator Laura Fine News
Friday, July 23, 2021 04:38 PM
  • Fine
  • SB471
  • Mental Health Treatment
  • Substance Abuse Treatment

fine051920210603SPRINGFIELD – Illinois families will be able to access mental health and substance use disorder treatment without traveling long distances or waiting unreasonable amounts of time under a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview), which was signed into law Friday.

“Oftentimes individuals can’t afford to wait days or weeks for mental health or substance use disorder treatment,” Senator Fine said. “It’s imperative that Illinoisans have easy access to timely and reliable mental health care.”

Read more: Senator Fine measure to make mental health care more accessible becomes law

Senator Fine announces financial help for unemployed Illinoisans without health insurance

Details
Category: Senator Laura Fine News
Tuesday, July 06, 2021 12:11 PM
  • Fine
  • COVID-19
  • ACA Marketplace
  • American Rescue Plan

fine ACA 070621GLENVIEW – Starting this month, unemployed Illinoisans in need of health insurance through the ACA Marketplace are eligible for financial assistance, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) announced Tuesday.

“Every Illinoisan deserves access to quality, affordable health care, and I’m pleased to see President Biden’s American Rescue Plan paving the way for many families to be able to afford health insurance,” Senator Fine said. “Individuals struggling to find employment should take advantage of this special enrollment period to prevent a possible lapse in insurance coverage.”

Thanks to new tax credits made possible by the federal American Rescue Plan, Illinoisans who received, or are approved to receive, unemployment compensation in 2021 may be able to find lower-cost plans and reduce out-of-pocket health insurance premiums when purchasing plans through the ACA Marketplace.

To maximize savings, individuals are encouraged to enroll in coverage on HealthCare.gov before the current special enrollment period closes on Aug. 15. Illinoisans can receive enrollment assistance at GetCoveredIllinois.gov.

“Anyone who has received unemployment income in 2021 should submit a new application or update their existing one,” said Illinois Department of Insurance Acting Director Dana Popish Severinghaus. “You may find that with the advanced premium tax credits, your monthly premium could average $10 or less per month, or even $0.”

More information on the 2021 Special Enrollment Period in Response to COVID-19 for the ACA Marketplace and the American Rescue Plan can be found here.

More Articles …

  1. Senator Fine announces $3 million investment in local pedestrian path, street improvements
  2. Senator Fine: Investments in mental health care, social services will save lives
  3. Senator Fine votes to permanently expand telehealth coverage
  4. Birth centers could be more accessible to mothers-to-be under Senator Fine legislation
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