Manley Backs Plan to Expand Mental Health Support to Medical Examiners and Coroners

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Recognizing that medical examiners and coroners regularly deal with difficult scenes, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, sponsored and supported a plan that would expand insurance coverage for mental health counseling services for these professionals. 

“The work that coroners and medical examiners perform is not easy, but it’s necessary,” Manley said. “They see a lot of the same trauma our first responders do, and it makes sense to ensure they receive the same access to mental health support.”

Under current practice, municipalities and counties that oversee employee health insurance coverage must provide mental health counseling to defined first responders – including firefighters, police and emergency medical services personnel – without a deductible, co-insurance, copayment or other cost sharing requirement.

The Manley-backed Senate Bill 2770 updates this definition to include county medical examiners and coroners, as well as their deputies.

“In the worst moments, our community’s first responders work together as a team and enable us all to move forward,” Manley said. “I appreciate the important role our medical examiners and coroners provide, and thank them all for their dedicated service. This measure can provide meaningful assistance that they should take advantage of.”

Senate Bill 2770 passed with bipartisan support, and will now head to the governor for final approval.

For more information, please contact repmanley@gmail.com.