Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: *** UPDATED x2 - Pritzker, Welch to honor picket lines *** DPI asks party members not to cross WTTW picket line
Next Post: Illinois Supreme Court upholds law allowing campaign fund use for criminal defense fees, but with caveats
Posted in:
* This bill is still on First Reading in the originating chamber. Long way to go. But it’ll get some local attention…
In an effort to improve consumer protections in health care and hold health insurance companies accountable, the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) worked closely with Representative Sue Scherer and Senator Doris Turner on legislation to further enhance consumer protections within the state’s Network Adequacy Transparency Act (NATA). The landmark law ensures consumers have access to a network of health insurance providers that meets proper time and distance standards.
HB5729 will give IDOI the authority to put in place more stringent time/distance standards than current federal requirements for many specialties to ensure consumers can access in-network providers close to home. Under the bill, the Department will pursue emergency rules to update time/distance network adequacy standards to help protect consumers’ access to care. The bill also provides for greater transparency in IDOI’s enforcement efforts, removing a confidentiality requirement for market conduct exams to allow the Department to inform consumers that an insurance company is undergoing an exam, while keeping details confidential until exams are finalized. Market conduct exams are the Department’s primary enforcement tool to review the practices of insurance companies regulated by the Department.
“Sen. Turner and Rep. Scherer have worked tirelessly to make sure that their constituents get the care they deserve, and I appreciate their willingness to work with my Department of Insurance to ensure that our laws are strong enough to protect consumers’ care,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This legislation will make our system operate more transparently and give people and regulators more tools to hold health care insurers accountable.”
“I care deeply about improving and expanding access to healthcare for my constituents. I’m glad to partner with the Department to help protect and inform Illinois insurance consumers. This legislation enhances penalties to ensure compliance with state laws,” said Representative Sue Scherer. “Also, it creates more generous provider-to-patient ratios for network adequacy than are currently recommended under federal regulations for many specialties.”
“The new law will provide necessary oversight with the creation of a Network Adequacy Advisory Council, comprised of consumer, provider, and insurer representation,” said Senator Doris Turner. “The council will regularly update network adequacy requirements, including reviewing time and distance standards, and ratios to apply to all provider networks. This is what health insurance consumers need, and our state leaders will deliver.”
Earlier this week, the Department issued fines totaling $339,000 for Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for violating the material change notice requirement in the state’s Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. The Department found that the company did not properly file updated network adequacy filings following the termination of its contract with Springfield Clinic.
“The new law provides for additional consumer protections when a provider contract ends, and it strengthens network adequacy requirements with robust penalties for noncompliance” said IDOI Director Dana Popish Severinghaus. “We want to protect patients from having to travel far from their homes or wait too long to receive care. The Department can now establish strict wait times, and if the wait time to see a particular provider is excessive, the insurer must pay for the patient to see an out of network provider at an in-network rate. Current statutory requirements are also improved upon for both issuers and providers to update their provider network directories with accurate information.”
* Federal bill with a state angle…
[US Rep. Rodney Davis] has signed on as a co-sponsor of legislation that would require providers to follow notification laws in a minor’s resident state when the minor travels to another state for an abortion.
Illinois recently repealed its notification law, which required the parents of a minor be informed their child was seeking an abortion. Notification will not be required after June 1.
About 1,180 of the 46,243 abortions performed in Illinois in 2020 were for girls 17 and under — 1,092 age 15 to 17 and 88 under 15 years old, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. That number was down from 1,343 for the same age group the year prior. […]
“The extreme abortion expansion laws pushed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Democrats are a disgrace,” Davis said. “I am proudly pro-life and strongly support the rights of parents to be involved in their children’s lives. This legislation I’m supporting would make sure that when a minor crosses state lines into Illinois to receive an abortion, their home state’s parental involvement in abortion laws are upheld.”
* Sun-Times editorial…
138,000.
That’s how many children in Illinois sank back into poverty after monthly federal child tax credit payments ended in December, according to one estimate. Another estimate pegged the number at 150,000. Nationwide, 3.7 million children are in families that lost these payments of $250 to $300 a month depending on the age of the child.
“Giving families that extra boost each month works,” as Joanna A. Ain, associate director of policy for Washington, D.C.-based Prosperity Now, told us. Her group and others have been pushing Congress to resurrect the monthly payments and make them permanent, a move we endorse. They aren’t hopeful Congress will act anytime soon, nor are we.
Reinstating this vital lifeline for some of the country’s neediest people is unlikely because it’s tied up with President Joe Biden’s massive Build Back Better initiative, which is all but dead.
There is something state lawmakers can do, however: Pass a state child tax credit. This was a key component of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s platform when he was running for governor and later when he tried unsuccessfully to get the income tax referendum on the ballot.
* Press release…
A measure by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) to offer nutritional, plant-based lunch options to students across the state advanced out of the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday.
“Students may require plant-based meal options for religious, health-based or other, personal reasons,” Koehler said. “Our schools should be prepared to offer nutritional options for students with dietary restrictions.”
House Bill 4089 requires school districts to provide a plant-based school lunch option that complies with federal nutritional standards to any student who submits a prior request.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture encourages the use of fresh fruits and vegetables in school meals, and offers a Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to grant access to students at least twice a week at times during the school day other than meal periods. The USDA encourages schools to develop innovative and varied methods to offer the fruits and vegetables to students, and a plant-based lunch option would be one way of doing so.
Plant-based school lunch options would also suffice as Halal options for Muslim students so long as there are no alcohol or alcohol byproducts, such as vanilla extract or other extracts, used in the preparation of the meal.
“All students deserve the opportunity to have a well-rounded, nutritional meal at school that meets their dietary needs,” Koehler said. “For some kids it may be the only substantial meal they get that day, and they need to be able to make the most of it.”
The legislation now awaits further consideration.
*** UPDATE *** Likely about to become a law…
A plan will be presented this fall to replace dismantled vehicle emissions inspection stations in Chicago after a measure spearheaded by State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) passed the House Wednesday.
“This legislation will help restore a much-needed service to the residents of Chicago and the near suburbs,” Martwick said. “People shouldn’t have to drive for miles and wait in long lines to test their vehicles.”
Senate Bill 1234 would require the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to submit a written report to the General Assembly by Oct. 1 2022, which would include a plan to replace the dismantled emissions inspection stations within the city of Chicago. The plan would help establish a pilot program or permanent replacement program as well as a timeline to implement the plan.
The measure is designed to address the lack of available vehicle emissions testing stations in Chicago following the closure of four stations in 2016. Test sites in Bucktown and Harwood Heights were closed leaving the city of Chicago without a testing station. Two suburban facilities in Elk Grove Village and Tinley Park were also closed.
“The closure of these stations in 2016 created a burden for our residents, and I’m glad that we are one step closer to creating a plan that will make emissions testing more convenient for the residents of Chicago and the near suburbs,” Martwick said.
Senate Bill 1234 passed the House Wednesday with bipartisan support. It now heads to the governor’s desk.
* More…
* “We can stop sinking”: Legislators celebrate anniversary of Illinois’ break-up with payday lending
* Tougher insurance regulations surface in new House proposal following Target 3 report* Suburban House Democrat proposes lifting ban on nuclear expansion to build microreactors: Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights) sponsored a measure that would allow data centers, factories, or other large energy consumers to install smaller nuclear microreactors on site to help lighten the load on the rest of the energy grid that is becoming increasingly reliant on wind and solar energy.
* Illinois manufacturers seek passage of resolution urging White House to expand domestic oil exploration
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 24, 22 @ 10:17 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: *** UPDATED x2 - Pritzker, Welch to honor picket lines *** DPI asks party members not to cross WTTW picket line
Next Post: Illinois Supreme Court upholds law allowing campaign fund use for criminal defense fees, but with caveats
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
==strengthens network adequacy requirements with robust penalties for noncompliance==
As the bard says, therein lies the rub.
I have a feeling the “robust” penalties enacted won’t be so onerous that BCBS truly minds.
Comment by SLoop Thursday, Mar 24, 22 @ 10:34 am
Rauner spitefully closed the Chicago emissions testing stations to inconvenience those who vote Democratic. Making people drive farther and wait in line with engines running increased emissions.
Comment by Big Dipper Thursday, Mar 24, 22 @ 10:51 am
I heard about Davis’s federal bill yesterday. If the U.S. Supreme Court rules in the Mississippi Case that State’s Rights prevail, such that the States can create any sort of laws the wish regarding access to abortion (which would explain why they will not take other cases being brought that are more strict), then it seems unlikely that Congress would act to create a National Law that says access to Abortion is a federal right, AND that this federal right begins with parental notification.
Congress can certainly declare assess a federal right, but in the absence of that legislation, the Supreme Court seems fully prepared to reject the current precedence (Rowe v. Wade) suggest access is a right through two trimesters. The Court seems prepared to strike that as not a constitutional right, and to declare that the States have the right to regulate access as they see fit.
Davis’s actions will almost certainly be rejected by this Congress. But assuming a Republican Congress is forthcoming, why would a Republican Congress act so as to create a federal regulation allowing some access to abortion (e.g., with parental permission)?
I just do not see this as a prudent, Republican effort.
Comment by H-W Thursday, Mar 24, 22 @ 11:15 am
Regardless of what you or me might personally think of abortion we shouldn’t have the right to dictate to a woman what she has to do if she has an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. That is a personal and private health decision she should have the right to make. Women who live in anti abortion states will continue to travel to states where abortions are legal.
Comment by The Dude Abides Thursday, Mar 24, 22 @ 12:20 pm
Exploratory drilling has started up again in my area after nothing being done since the 1960s and early 1970s. The last exploratory oil well drilled here was in the early 80s and it came up dry, as did almost all done in the 60s and 70s. Drilling can be done as close as 200 feet from a home, and IDNR will not enforce any noise or exhaust pollution issues. People in our area were told to go elsewhere with those problems. Exploratory well drilling can go on from 5-10 days straight, 24/7 from start to capping the well. Weekly permits can be found here- https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/oilandgas/pages/oilgasweeklydrilllog.aspx . Well maps here- https://isgs.illinois.edu/illinois-oil-and-gas-resources-interactive-map
Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Mar 24, 22 @ 12:31 pm
To quote Davis…
== I am proudly pro-life and strongly support the rights of parents to be involved in their children’s lives. ==
It’s the internal inconsistencies with most Republican ideas lately that turns me off from even listening to them. The above being a perfect example.
If Davis doesn’t consider an abortion an ‘involvement of the parent in the child’s life’, then it presupposes that he doesn’t consider it a child at that point. There’s not much more involved a parent can be with the life of a child, than an abortion. If he considers it a child, that is.
At the same time, and in the same sentence, he is also pro-life because the same unborn is the equivalent to a child in his mind.
He’s going to need to more clearly define ‘involved in’ if he wants to keep using this… for lack of a better term, reasoning. I’d especially be interested in hearing his ideas on how he sees his government co-parenting plan working out.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Thursday, Mar 24, 22 @ 12:40 pm
Rich, what a case of canned worms on so many fronts in this thread. Nuclear, exploratory drilling and expansion, IDNR (Do Not Resuscitate), Davis, abortion, emissions, insurance, . . . and my head hurts. Good comments on Davis abortion issue and kudos to Senator Koehler. I pray the youth of our state step up; us old folks can’t continue at this pace.
Comment by Mister Ed Friday, Mar 25, 22 @ 12:47 am
Anon221,
May I ask roughly where in the state you’re located?
I grew up down by Effingham; lots of oil wells down that way.
In the early 1980s someone drilled an exploratory well on my dad’s farm. They said the pressure was too low to pump it. (Nowadays, they’ld look at fracking it.
Comment by Lynn S. Friday, Mar 25, 22 @ 8:05 am