Lilly Backs Measure to Protect Consumers from Unfair Insurance Price Increases

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  – State Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, is working to protect consumers from excessive and unfair health insurance rate increases, passing legislation that will stop unwarranted rate hikes on consumers.

“If you don’t have your health, you don’t have much else, but you can’t have your health if you are unable to afford health insurance and medical care,” Lilly said. “We need to make sure that big insurance companies are spending more on providing high-quality healthcare for consumers.”

Lilly supported House Bill 471, which gives the Illinois Department of Insurance the power to reject health insurance rate increases that are discriminatory, excessive, or unjustified as defined by federal law for individual and small group plans. Currently, the state does not have the ability to alter or reject health insurance rates no matter how excessive or unjustified. According to the Chicago Tribune, states with laws similar to House Bill 471 have lower health insurance prices than states without them.

“The purpose of health insurance to help someone maintain access to preventative and emergency health care in order to maintain a healthy life,” said Lilly. “This measure is necessary to crack down on out of control health insurance rate hikes and ensure insurance companies are spending their resources on health care, not excessive corporate profits and pay raises.”