SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To help protect the healthcare of Illinois residents, state Rep. Thaddeus Jones, D-Calumet City, co-sponsored legislation that will prevent health insurance providers from changing a patient’s coverage part way through the year.

“We’ve heard many stories about health insurance companies changing coverage on an insured person once they are already in a contract,” Jones said. “This is a dishonest practice dealing with some of the important insurance that a person can have, and it needs to be stopped.”

Health insurance companies will often change their benefits midway through the year, and consumers end up paying more for services than they expected when they signed the contract, including soaring costs for vital medication. They must then wait months without coverage until the next enrollment period to choose a new plan. The Jones backed House Bill 4146 prohibits mid-year insurance plan changes on stable prescription drugs. This will prevent insurance companies from making co-pay increases, re-tiering, and formulary removals when people are locked into a plan. HB 4146 recently was passed in the House and is now in the Senate.

“People cannot afford drastic increases on their medication, and they cannot afford to be without that medication either,” Jones said. “This bill protects consumers and holds insurance companies to the coverage they agreed to.”