Ness-Sponsored Bill Signed by Governor Pritzker; Ensuring Coverage for Glucose Monitoring Devices

CHICAGO –On Wednesday morning, Governor JB Pritzker signed SB2969 into law, a bill that requires insurance plans to cover continuous glucose monitoring devices for people living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. State Representative Suzanne Ness (D-Crystal Lake) served as the House Sponsor for Senator Julie Morrison’s groundbreaking legislation. The bill was signed at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, a major endocrinology center based in Chicago that treats thousands of diabetic patients each year.

In Illinois alone, more than 1.3 million people live with diabetes; a chronic health condition that affects the body’s ability to make and regulate insulin. Continuous glucose monitors track blood sugar throughout the day and provide reliable data for patients to assess their needs. These devices have proven to play a critical role in preventative care for people living with diabetes. Without access to preventative care technology and devices, a manageable chronic health condition can become far more serious and increasingly expensive.

“One of the first doors I knocked on when I first ran for this role was answered by a 20-year-old living with type 1 diabetes,” said State Rep. Suzanne Ness (D-Crystal Lake). “His number one priority was the cost of healthcare as this was going to affect him his whole life. While Illinois has capped the cost of insulin, it is only right that we include and make more affordable, life changing devices that improve a person’s overall quality of life. SB2969 does just that.”

Notably, continuous glucose monitors can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars out of pocket for patients. People living with diabetes pay on average of 2 to 3 times higher in healthcare costs than those who do not have diabetes. With the passage and signing of SB2969 into law, people living with diabetes across the state will now have access to affordable preventative care that will significantly improve their overall quality of life.