Halpin-Backed Law Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions Takes Effect

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – As of Jan. 1, individual or group accidental health insurance coverage companies are prohibited from imposing pre-existing condition exclusions under a new law supported by state Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island.

“The proposed changes to healthcare at the federal level could severely impact the well-being of working families here in Illinois” Halpin said. “This is especially true for those who have pre-existing conditions, whose lives depend on having access to affordable, high-quality care.”

The Halpin-supported House Bill 2959 prevents insurance companies from denying health coverage to Illinois residents with pre-existing conditions. The new law was drafted in response to efforts by federal politicians seeking to pad the profits of large insurance companies through sweeping changes to the U.S. healthcare system. Under the law, individuals with pre-existing conditions won’t have to worry about losing their healthcare coverage when they change jobs or insurance companies.

“Patients’ access to healthcare should not be in jeopardy because of a pre-existing illness,” Halpin said. “These state-level protections ensure that thousands of Illinois families will not lose their insurance coverage, regardless of what happens in Washington.”