Hernandez-Backed Reforms Make Health Care More Affordable, Accessible

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois families will have access to better and more affordable health care coverage under a new measure backed by state Rep. Elizabeth ‘Lisa’ Hernandez, D-Cicero, aiming to reduce costs and hold big insurance companies accountable.

“Families in my community suffer because the profits of large insurance companies have been prioritized over their health and wellbeing, but this legislation shifts our focus back to everyday families,” Hernandez said. “This legislation empowers doctors to prescribe the best treatments and medications for their patients, not just the ones a health plan will cover. We’re also combatting ever-increasing premiums by making sure billion-dollar companies justify their prices. Tackling historic injustices in our health care system requires historic legislation, and this bill is exactly what we need to safeguard the wellbeing of every Illinoisan.”

The Hernandez-backed House Bill 5395 delivers 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 practices insurance companies use to deny access to medically necessary treatments, procedures, and prescription medications; instead, doctors and patients would be empowered to make important medical decisions—not insurance companies. The bill also stops insurance companies from selling inadequate short-term health care plans that provide little or no coverage.