Healthcare

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 shall provide coverage for medically necessary general anesthesia, regardless of the duration, for any procedure covered by the policy, and that medical necessity shall be determined by the attending anesthesiologist or licensed anesthesia provider. Provides that an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance is prohibited from denying payment or reimbursement for anesthesia services solely because the duration of care exceeded a preset time limit. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to require coverage under those provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Local Library Act. Provides that all libraries open to the general public in the State shall maintain a supply of opioid antagonists in an accessible location. Provides that any authorized personnel may administer an opioid antagonist to any person whom the authorized personnel believes, in good faith, to be having an opioid overdose (i) on library grounds; (ii) in the immediate vicinity of the library; or (iii) at a library-sponsored event. Requires libraries to ensure that during all operating hours, there is at least one person present in the library who has completed training in how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose, including the administration of an opioid antagonist. Requires the Director of the Department of Public Health to identify organizations qualified to offer the training. Provides that the health department of any county where a Library is located may provide, either directly or through providing necessary funds, a supply of opioid antagonists to the library. Allows the Department to adopt rules to implement the provisions. Makes conforming changes in the Pharmacy Practice Act.

Amends the Personnel Code. Provides that certain provisions related to probationary separation, term appointments, and veterans hospital visits are subject to Jurisdiction B. Changes references to "veterans hospital visits" to references to "veterans medical appointments". Provides that an employee who is also a veteran shall be permitted 4 days per year to receive medical care authorized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, at any type of health care provider or health care facility (rather than permitted 4 days per year to visit a veterans hospital or clinic), for examination or treatment (rather than for examination) of a military service-connected condition (rather than service-connected disability).

Creates the First Responder Trauma-Informed Response Training Act, which may be referred to as Anna's Law. Provides that, prior to the onboarding processes of a first responder, the individual must complete mandatory pass or fail trauma-informed response training, as established by the Department of Public Health. Provides that a first responder must also complete the pass or fail trauma-informed response training every 18 months after beginning work as a first responder. Provides that, if more than 18 months have elapsed after beginning work as a first responder and the first responder has not completed the retraining, the first responder may not perform trauma-related duties, such as responding to emergency calls, taking statements from victims, or interviewing victims. Provides that, if a first responder who is certified or licensed by the State or a subdivision of the State has not completed the required trauma-informed response retraining, the first responder may be decertified by the certifying entity or the first responder's license may be revoked by the licensing entity if retraining is not completed. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Defines terms. Makes conforming changes in the Illinois Police Training Act and the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, including requiring the Department of Public Health to adopt rules to implement the trauma-informed response training and providing that the rules may allow or require the use of a training program from a university, college, or not-for-profit entity.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no provision of the Illinois Insurance Code, or any other law, prohibits assignability rights to an insured under any policy of dental insurance (in addition to accident and health insurance). Provides that if an enrollee or insured of an insurer, health maintenance organization, managed care plan, health care plan, preferred provider organization, dental service plan corporation, dental insurer, or third party administrator assigns a claim to a health care professional, or health care facility, a dental care provider, or a dental care facility, then payment shall be made directly to the health care professional, or health care facility, dental care provider, or dental care facility, including any required interest. Effective immediately.

Amends the Community Emergency Services and Support Act. Modifies legislative findings. Provides that appropriate mobile response services must, among other things, subject to the care decisions of the individual receiving care, coordinate transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency to the least restrictive setting feasible (rather than provide transportation for any individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health emergency). Provides that adequate mobile mental health relief provider training includes, among other things, training in recognizing and working with people with neurodivergent and developmental disability diagnoses and in the techniques available to help stabilize and connect them to further services and training in the involuntary commitment process, in identification of situations that meet the standards for involuntary commitment, and in cultural competencies and social biases to guard against any group being disproportionately subjected to the involuntary commitment process or the use of the process not warranted under the legal standard for involuntary commitment. Provides that mobile mental health relief providers may only participate in the involuntary commitment process to the extent permitted under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Requires the system for gathering information developed by the Statewide Advisory Committee to determine the number of instances of mobile mental health relief providers initiating petitions for involuntary commitment. Provides that the exemption from civil liability for emergency care provided in the Good Samaritan Act applies to anyone providing care under the Act. Provides that each 9-1-1 public safety answering point and emergency service dispatched through a 9-1-1 public safety answering point must begin coordinating its activities with the mobile mental and behavioral health services established by the Division of Mental Health once all 3 of the following conditions are met, but not later than July 1, 2027 (rather than July 1, 2025). Adds definitions and modifies existing definitions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois State Police Law. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, all 9-1-1 telecommunicators who provide dispatch for emergency medical conditions shall be required to be trained, utilizing the most current nationally recognized emergency cardiovascular care guidelines, in high-quality telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR). Defines telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation for the purposes of the provisions.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027 shall provide coverage for all medically necessary diagnostic testing and U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments or medications prescribed to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease or another related dementia, in accordance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration label, as determined by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches. Provides that coverage of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments or medications prescribed to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease or another related dementia shall not be subject to step therapy. Amends the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, and the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act to require coverage under those provisions. Effective immediately.

Amends the Underserved Health Care Provider Workforce Act. Changes the definition of "designated shortage area" to mean an area designated as a medically underserved area or a health professional shortage area (rather than a physician shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a critical health manpower shortage area). Changes the term "eligible medical student" to "eligible student", and includes in the definition of that term a person who is studying optometry in an optometry college or institution located in Illinois and that a person may agree to practice full-time in a designated shortage area as an optometrist or anesthesiologist one year for each year he or she is a scholarship recipient. Includes a rural health center, a federally qualified health center, a federally qualified health center look alike, and an optometric office in the definition of "medical facility". Includes an optometrist in the definition of "eligible health care provider". Includes an obstetrician or gynecologist in the definition of "primary care physician". Includes loan repayment recipients in a provision regarding scholarship recipients who fail to fulfill specified obligations, and provides that the amounts paid by these scholarship or loan repayment recipients shall be deposited into the fund where the payment originated from (rather than the Community Health Center Care Fund). Repeals a different provision defining "primary care physician". Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, to submit the necessary application to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to amend the State's home and community-based services waiver programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities to provide coverage under the Home-Based Services Program for any therapeutic recreation programs offered by park districts, health clubs, and community colleges.