Healthcare

Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Provides that medical creditors and debt collectors are prohibited from communicating with a patient regarding unpaid charges for the purpose of seeking to collect the charges and initiating a lawsuit or arbitration proceeding against the patient regarding the unpaid charges while an appeal of a health insurance decision is pending or was pending within 180 days. Sets forth provisions concerning medical debt interest under a reasonable payment plan, the applicable interest rate for judgments on medical debt, the effect of medical debt forgiveness on the contractual relationship between the medical creditor and the insurer or payor, and the applicability of the provisions.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that every insurer that amends, delivers, issues, or renews a group or individual policy or certificate of disability insurance or disability income insurance shall ensure parity for the payment of mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorders or conditions. Changes the definition of "treatment limitation" to include benefit payments under disability insurance or disability income insurance.

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit in an amount equal to 50% of the contributions made by the taxpayer during the taxable year to one or more qualifying pregnancy resource centers. Provides that the term "qualifying pregnancy resource center" means a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and is established for the purpose of providing free assistance to pregnant women in carrying their pregnancies to term.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that companies that issue medical liability insurance must evaluate premium rates based on the specific scope of practice of each insured physician who specializes in obstetric and gynecologic services (OB-GYN), considering whether the OB-GYN provides obstetric services, including childbirth, or limits the OB-GYN's practice to gynecologic services only. Requires companies that issue medical liability insurance to classify OB-GYNs who do not provide obstetric services as lower-risk providers for the purposes of determining premium rates. Requires the Department of Insurance to establish guidelines for companies that issue medical liability insurance to classify and adjust premiums based on the risk profiles of OB-GYNs.

Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Provides that every health care facility in this State shall permit the next of kin of a patient who is on life support to remain with the patient, at the patient's bedside, irrespective of regular hours of visitation. Provides that health care facilities may institute reasonable policies, including reasonable requirements that promote the health, safety, and welfare of the next of kin, the patient, and the employees and other patients of the health care facility without revoking the basic right afforded to the next of kin of a patient who is on life support. Defines "next of kin".

Amends the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Provides that the Act applies to policies issued or delivered to persons who are enrolled in the State Employee Group Health Insurance Program to the extent required under a provision of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 concerning required health benefits. Provides that a health insurance issuer shall not require prior authorization where a covered medication, with the exception of benzodiazepines or Schedule II narcotic drugs: (1) is prescribed for the management and treatment of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes type 1, diabetes type 2, or pre-diabetes; and (2) is for a patient currently managed with an established treatment regimen for at least 12 months. Provides that nothing in the provision prevents a health care plan from denying an enrollee coverage or imposing a prior authorization requirement if the United States Food and Drug Administration has issued a statement about the drug that calls into question the clinical safety of the drug, the drug manufacturer has notified the United States Food and Drug Administration of a manufacturing discontinuance or potential discontinuance of the drug, or the drug manufacturer has removed the drug from the market. In a provision concerning the length of prior authorization approval for treatment of chronic or long-term condition, excludes a provision of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 concerning coverage for injectable medicines to improve glucose or weight loss. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Reproductive Health Act. Provides that a health care professional who provides abortion-related care may submit to any governmental agency, person, business, or association a written request that the governmental agency, person, business, or association refrain from disclosing any personal information about the health care professional. Provides that if a governmental agency receives a written request from a health care professional, the governmental agency shall not publicly post or display publicly available content that includes any personal information of the health care professional. Exempts the personal information of the health care professional from the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that if a person, business, or association receives a written request from a health care professional, the person, business, or association shall refrain from publicly posting or displaying on the Internet publicly available content that includes the personal information of a health care professional. Provides that no person, business, or association shall solicit, sell, or trade any personal information of the health care professional with the intent to post an imminent or serious threat to the health and safety of the health care professional or the health care professional's immediate family. Allows a health care professional to bring an action against a governmental agency, person, business, or association, seeking injunctive or declaratory relief if a written request is violated. Provides that it is a Class 3 felony for any person to knowingly and publicly post on the Internet the personal information of a health care professional or the health care professional's immediate family if the person knows that publicly posting the personal information poses an imminent and serious threat to the health and safety of the health care professional or health care professional's immediate family, and the violation is a proximate cause of bodily injury or death of the health care professional or health care professional's immediate family member. Makes a conforming change in the Freedom of Information Act.

Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Creates the right of each patient to request access to and be provided with an electronic record of the patient's health information free of charge. Provides that, if a request pursuant to this right is made by a patient or the patient's representative and the records are readily producible in an electronic format, the health care provider shall provide the patient or the patient's representative with access to the requested records in an electronic format.

Declares May 2025 as Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month. Express support for raising awareness and educating the public about Prader-Willi Syndrome and increasing research and funding into the causes and treatments of the disease.

HB 1286 amends Illinois Insurance Code Section 367f to clarify requirements for maintaining group health insurance coverage for firefighters during retirement or disability periods. It requires municipalities and insurers to automatically allow firefighters to continue their group health coverage (including dependents' coverage) throughout their retirement or disability period at the same premium rate as active firefighters, without discrimination. The bill mandates specific written notices: municipalities must notify insurers within 15 days of a firefighter's retirement/disability period starting, and insurers must then notify firefighters of their continuation options within 15 days. This directly affects firefighters employed by Illinois municipalities who are covered under group health insurance policies.