Mason Enacts Reforms to Make Healthcare More Affordable, Expand Access to Care

GURNEE, Ill. – Illinois families will have access to better and more affordable healthcare coverage under new laws backed by state Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee, aiming to reduce costs and hold big insurance companies accountable.

“Without exception, every person in our community deserves reliable access to essential medications, potentially lifesaving checkups with their doctors and necessary medical procedures, and this measure is going to help guarantee that,” Mason said. “The Healthcare Protection Act takes historic steps towards curtailing abusive practices from health insurance companies. Members of our community are forced to tragically ration prescriptions and neglect their doctors’ advice because of the ruthless corporate pursuit of profits. While our work isn’t done, I won’t stop fighting until people are guaranteed all healthcare they need to live happily.”

The Mason-backed House Bill 5395 and House Bill 2499 were signed into law last Wednesday, delivering a series of major reforms to make healthcare coverage better and more affordable. The
new Healthcare 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.