Prairie State Wire

The Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) has reported several legislative successes from the 2025 Spring session that are expected to benefit physicians and patients across the state. The ISMS Governmental Affairs team played a key role in opposing legislative proposals deemed burdensome and unsafe, while also supporting bills aimed at improving patient care.

Governor Pritzker signed House Bill 5373 into law, which aims to aid patients suffering from chronic pain by ensuring they can secure treatment as prescribed by their physicians.

Several other bills have successfully passed through the General Assembly and await the governor's consideration:

House Bill 3019 seeks to enhance transparency for health insurance companies concerning medical loss ratios. It aims to strengthen coverage requirements for substance use disorder treatment and mental health conditions, including imposing new restrictions on prior authorization requirements. This bill would also support provisions of the ISMS-backed Network Adequacy and Transparency Act.

House Bill 1141 proposes that group or individual accident and health insurance policies or managed care plans must cover medically necessary anesthesia services for any procedure covered by the policy, regardless of duration. It would prevent insurers from denying payment or full reimbursement solely because anesthesia services exceeded a preset time limit.

House Bill 1270 is designed to facilitate retired healthcare professionals, including physicians, in volunteering their expertise. It allows them to be moved to retired status by IDPFR without needing to apply for a new "retired" license.

For further details on these legislative developments, individuals are encouraged to review the ISMS 2025 End-of-Session Legislative Report. Questions can be directed via email to Erin O'Brien, ISMS Senior Vice President of State Legislative Affairs.