Ness-Backed Reforms Make Healthcare More Affordable, Expands Access to Care

CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. – Illinois families will have access to better and more affordable health care coverage under new laws backed by state Rep. Suzanne Ness, D-Crystal Lake, aiming to reduce costs and hold big insurance companies accountable.

“The Healthcare Protection Act is a game changer for the health and well-being of residents across the state. Getting rid of junk insurance, streamlining mental health care access, and lowering insurance premiums will cut through red tape and lower costs. This means better, more affordable healthcare for everyone,” said Ness. “Signing the Healthcare Protection Act into law is a big win for Illinois, and I look forward to carrying this new standard of care into future legislation to improve access to high-quality, comprehensive care.”

The Ness-backed House Bill 5395 and House Bill 2499 were signed into law Wednesday, delivering a series of major reforms to make health care coverage better and more affordable. The new Health Care Protection Act would create a rate review process requiring insurance companies to justify premium increases, and empowering state watchdogs to reject unwarranted hikes that simply pad profits.

Additionally, the measure curbs gimmicks insurance companies use to deny access to medically necessary treatments, procedures, and prescription medications, including step therapy—where insurance companies require a patient to ‘try and fail’ with cheap, ineffective treatments before covering the prescribed treatment or medication. Under the Healthcare Protection Act, doctors and patients will now be empowered to make important medical decisions—not insurance companies.

These measures also stop insurance companies from selling inadequate short-term healthcare plans that provide little or no coverage.