Nearly 300 new Illinois laws will go into effect on New Year's Day, and dozens of them could have a direct impact on your health and wellness in 2025.
Illinois lawmakers require insurance companies to cover many procedures and limit prescription drug costs in several ways.
Bills covering reproductive health care will also go into effect, with lawmakers even paving the way for students to access “relaxation activities” during school hours.
Here's a summary of more than 50 laws that will impact health and wellness in the new year.
Insurance changes:
HB 2350 – Requires Illinois companies that provide health insurance to cover annual prostate cancer screenings, Pap smears, or Pap smears for all insured individuals, regardless of sex.
HB 2443 – Requires that new insurance plans provide coverage for medically necessary hearing aids and related services to all individuals, not just those under 18 years of age.
HB 3639 – Requires insurers to limit the total price of a double package of medically necessary epinephrine syringes to $60 or less.
HB 4460 – Requires insurance programs to provide coverage for mental health treatment services to police officers, members of self-insured fire protection districts, and any spouse or partner of members of those districts.
HB 4789 – Dental insurance companies would be prohibited from denying claims for procedures that were subject to prior authorization unless specific criteria are met.
HB 5258 – Requires insurers to make dependent coverage available to eligible parents or stepparents of the insured if they meet the definition of “qualifying relative” under federal law.
HB 5395 – A wide-ranging medical insurance reform bill that would prevent companies from denying claims and persuading patients to choose lower-cost alternatives for treatment. It also prohibits “step therapy,” where patients must use cheaper drugs before more expensive drugs are approved. The bill also prohibits the sale of limited-term medical insurance coverage that does not meet minimum standards set by the federal Affordable Care Act.
SB 2195 – Requires insurers to cover an artificial or custom orthotic device that is “medically necessary for the enrollee to perform physical activities, such as running, biking, swimming, and weight lifting.”
SB 2641 – Insurers would be required to prove that each in-network hospital has at least one radiologist, pathologist, anesthesiologist, and emergency physician as a preferred provider.
SB 2697 – Requires insurance and Medicaid to cover genetic cancer screening and testing for high-risk patients.
SB 2735 – The bill requires that no insurance company, health organization, or managed care plan shall charge fees to physicians to receive reimbursement for services provided to insured patients.
SB 2744 – Requires insurers to cover vaccine administration fees, regardless of the type of provider administering the vaccine, with no copayment or deductible.
SB 3203 – Insurers cannot deny coverage for life-saving inhalers, and must set a $25 cap on 30-day supplies of inhalers.
SB 3318 – Insurance plans for state employees would be required to cover all FDA-approved Alzheimer's disease treatments, as well as prescription medications to slow the disease.
SB 3351 – Elderly parents of adult children with disabilities would have the right to live in larger subsidized housing with more than one bedroom.
SB 3538 – Certain insurance plans would be required to cover mental health counseling for first responders.
SB 3599 – Insurers must cover “ambulatory integrated health care services” necessary for frequent users of emergency care in hospitals.
Reproductive health:
HB 4819 – The Department of Corrections would be required to build lactation rooms for employees in its facilities.
HB 4867 – Under the Illinois Human Rights Act, a person is free from unlawful discrimination in making reproductive health decisions.
HB 5142 – The Birth Equality Act provisions regarding requiring certain insurance policies to cover the services of doulas and midwives would go into effect on January 1. Other provisions of the bill will not take effect until January 2026.
HB 5643 – Private insurance and Medicaid are now required to cover urine-based home pregnancy tests.
List of procedures:
HB 4271 – Illinois residents age 17 or older can have their blood typed if the donation is completely voluntary, without needing permission from an adult.
HB 4357 – Establishes protocols for spas to perform “non-ablative laser hair removal” without a doctor on the premises.
HB 5530 – Allows pharmacists to administer “long-acting injections for mental health or substance use disorders” by prescription.
SB 0860 – Allows individuals with mental health or developmental disabilities who live in care facilities to self-administer medications if a nurse educator signs off on them.
SB 3779 – Authorizes social workers to administer opioid antagonists such as naloxone after receiving appropriate training.
last:
HB 2601 – Makes changes to custom slaughter of meat products in Illinois, requiring products to be clearly labeled “not for sale.”
HB 3046 – Allows the state of Illinois to adopt rules permitting the use of treated wastewater for drinking, and allows the use of treated wastewater for irrigation.
HB 3521 – Command all hospital affiliates, rather than just the main hospital campus, to report allegations of abuse within 24 hours of receiving them.
HB 4848 – Requires trash transportation vehicles to be covered to prevent wind gusts.
HB 4891 – Prohibits dentists from establishing third-party patient financing.
HB 4903 – State Board of Education, in coordination with IDPH, compiles resources for schools related to indoor air quality.
HB 5047 – Extends the amount of time nurses can practice in Illinois while waiting for their licensing applications to be reviewed.
HB 5087 – Physical therapy services can now be provided via telehealth platforms.
HB 5394 – Requires schools to provide all teachers, administrators, and other school personnel with emergency procedures, including the Heimlich maneuver, hands-only CPR, and the use of the school district's automated external defibrillator.
HB 5405 – Any entity or hospital funded by the National Institutes of Health must adopt policies to promote the inclusion of underrepresented demographic groups in any clinical trials it conducts.
SB 1087 – A new information campaign about mold dangers will be produced by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
SB 1089 – All state-owned buildings would be required to install and maintain an adult changing station.
SB 2442 – Hospitals would be prohibited from billing uninsured patients if they qualify for free care under the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act, and would require hospitals to provide patient information about insurance for which they may be eligible.
SB 2643 – A comprehensive bill relating to the custody of human remains, requiring that a deceased individual's body, body bag, and any body part or organ be affixed with a unique identifier, creating a chain of custody for all human remains.
SB 2644 – Illinois officials would create a registry of physician orders for life-sustaining treatment forms that prescribe a patient's preferred medical treatment.
SB 2662 – E-cigarette manufacturers can no longer market devices in ways that would “likely” cause a parent or guardian to mistake them for a non-tobacco product.
SB 2745 – Requires retailers who sell alcoholic beverages to post a sign bearing the name and telephone number of the state's certified alcoholism and drug abuse helpline.
SB 2872 – Allows schools to provide “relaxation activities” to students for at least 20 minutes per week. These activities can include mindfulness training, yoga, stretching, meditation, breathing exercises, quiet time, walking and other activities that reduce stress.
SB 2918 – A police officer cannot be fired because of a mental or physical disability that forms the basis for seeking his benefits under the state Retirement Law for Public Safety Officers.
SB 2933 – This bill makes it illegal for a consumer reporting agency to create a report containing any adverse information that the agency knows relates to a consumer's medical debt, or to conduct collections against a consumer to collect the medical debt. The bill also makes it illegal for agencies to maintain consumer files containing information related to medical debt.
SB 3116 – Requires Illinois agencies to develop training programs for first responders to access and use medical information stored in cell phones in an emergency.
SB 3201 – Requires police and correctional officers to undergo training in autism-informed responses.
SB 3277 – Requires IDPH to develop protocols and best practices for providing care for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
SB 3571 – School districts must have a presence in the school during the day, and during school-sponsored extracurricular activities, one AED and one or more trained AED users.
SB 3751 – Establishes the Health Outcomes Review Board to review and report data on “equitable health care outcomes, lower costs and ensuring quality health care.”
