SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Governor JB Pritzker’s Healthcare Protection Act is one step closer to outlawing predatory insurance practices after passing through the Senate this week with a vote of 45-14. 

“Healthcare is a fundamental right, and today, Illinois has taken steps to ensure that right is protected for all,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton in a press release. “The Healthcare Protection Act bans harmful practices like step therapy, removes the need for prior authorization for mental healthcare crises, eliminates junk insurance plans, and curtails unchecked rate increases for large group insurance companies. These changes empower patients and their doctors, prioritizing health and humanity over profit.”

Step therapy is a practice where insurance providers only cover a cheaper treatment until it is shown to be ineffective for the patient, instead of the treatment prescribed by the doctor.

House Bill 5395 would also make insurance companies regularly check and update their lists of available in-network healthcare providers using internal audits every 90 days.

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza also expressed her gratitude in a press release earlier today, “I applaud Senate and House lawmakers for passing HB 5395, the Healthcare Protection Act (HPA). Sponsored by Sen. Robert Peters and Rep. Anna Moeller, the legislation finally gives power back to patients and their doctors to make personal medical decisions. Big, powerful insurance companies should not be dictating treatment options for patients, and I thank the sponsors for carrying the bill over the finish line.”

The bill is on its way back to the House for approval.