Illinois e-News Release

Chicago - Governor Pritzker recently signed legislation codifying protections for preventive care services that are required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and include reproductive health care services.

The new Illinois law (Public Act 103-0551) comes after a court ruling in the Northern District of Texas (Braidwood Management v. Becerra) led to a national injunction that removed cost sharing protections from coverage of preventive services in federal law.?This left millions of Americans without some basic provisions of health care. The Illinois Insurance Code will now require coverage of preventive services.

“Governor Pritzker continues to lead the fight to protect Illinoisians’ rights to health insurance coverage from attacks on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which provides quality coverage for so many,” said IDOI Director Dana Popish Severinghaus. “This new law ensures that the rights of women to make decisions about their reproductive health remain protected, and insurers regulated by the Department must comply with the law.”

The new law also protects Illinoisians’ coverage for many other preventive services, such as routine immunizations, vision screenings, some cancer and chronic disease screenings, and various mental health services.

The Reproductive Health Act already required state-regulated private health insurance plans that offer pregnancy-related benefits to cover abortion. The requirement includes plans purchased on the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace and coverage through an employer that offers a fully insured plan. * Also, Illinois law and the ACA mandate coverage for contraceptive counseling and the full range of contraceptive products approved, cleared, or granted by the FDA without cost-sharing.

For information about ACA Marketplace health insurance plans, visit Getcoveredillinois.gov.

Consumers can visit the IDOI website to file a complaint or find related FAQs. For questions about health insurance policyholder rights, appeals, or external review requests for denied services, consumers can call the IDOI Office of Consumer Health Insurance at 877-527-9431.