HB4500 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 17655 BAB 31086 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4500

Introduced 1/20/2026, by Rep. Margaret Croke

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

215 ILCS 5/356z.40

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that, for policies of accident and health insurance amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027, coverage for pregnancy and postpartum care shall include medically necessary blood pressure monitors for pregnant or postpartum insured persons or beneficiaries. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 25. The Illinois Insurance Code is amended by adding Section 356z.40 as follows:

(215 ILCS 5/356z.40)

Sec. 356z.40. Pregnancy and postpartum coverage.

(a) An individual or group policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after October 8, 2021 (the effective date of Public Act 102-665) shall provide coverage for pregnancy and newborn care in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 18022(b) regarding essential health benefits. For policies amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, this subsection also applies to coverage for postpartum care.

(b) Benefits under this Section shall be as follows:

(1) An individual who has been identified as experiencing a high-risk pregnancy by the individual's treating provider shall have access to clinically appropriate case management programs. As used in this subsection, "case management" means a mechanism to coordinate and assure continuity of services, including, but not limited to, health services, social services, and educational services necessary for the individual. "Case management" involves individualized assessment of needs, planning of services, referral, monitoring, and advocacy to assist an individual in gaining access to appropriate services and closure when services are no longer required. "Case management" is an active and collaborative process involving a single qualified case manager, the individual, the individual's family, the providers, and the community. This includes close coordination and involvement with all service providers in the management plan for that individual or family, including assuring that the individual receives the services. As used in this subsection, "high-risk pregnancy" means a pregnancy in which the pregnant or postpartum individual or baby is at an increased risk for poor health or complications during pregnancy or childbirth, including, but not limited to, hypertension disorders, gestational diabetes, and hemorrhage.

(2) An individual shall have access to medically necessary treatment of a mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorder or condition consistent with the requirements set forth in this Section and in Sections 370c and 370c.1 of this Code. Prior authorization requirements are prohibited to the extent provided in Section 370c.

(3) The benefits provided for inpatient and outpatient services for the medically necessary treatment of a mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorder or condition related to pregnancy or postpartum complications shall be provided consistent with the requirements of Sections 370c and 370c.1 of this Code. The facility or provider shall notify the insurer of both the admission and the initial treatment plan within 48 hours after admission or initiation of treatment. Subject to the requirements of Sections 370c and 370c.1 of this Code, nothing in this paragraph shall prevent an insurer from applying concurrent and post-service utilization review of health care services, including review of medical necessity, case management, experimental and investigational treatments, managed care provisions, and other terms and conditions of the insurance policy.

(4) The benefits for the first 48 hours of initiation of services for an inpatient admission, detoxification or withdrawal management program, or partial hospitalization admission for the treatment of a mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorder or condition related to pregnancy or postpartum complications shall be provided without post-service or concurrent review of medical necessity, as the medical necessity for the first 48 hours of such services shall be determined solely by the covered pregnant or postpartum individual's provider. Subject to Sections 370c and 370c.1 of this Code, nothing in this paragraph shall prevent an insurer from applying concurrent and post-service utilization review, including the review of medical necessity, case management, experimental and investigational treatments, managed care provisions, and other terms and conditions of the insurance policy, of any inpatient admission, detoxification or withdrawal management program admission, or partial hospitalization admission services for the treatment of a mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorder or condition related to pregnancy or postpartum complications received 48 hours after the initiation of such services. If an insurer determines that the services are no longer medically necessary, then the covered person shall have the right to external review pursuant to the requirements of the Health Carrier External Review Act.

(5) If an insurer determines that continued inpatient care, detoxification or withdrawal management, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment, or outpatient treatment in a facility is no longer medically necessary, the insurer shall, within 24 hours, provide written notice to the covered pregnant or postpartum individual and the covered pregnant or postpartum individual's provider of its decision and the right to file an expedited internal appeal of the determination. The insurer shall review and make a determination with respect to the internal appeal within 24 hours and communicate such determination to the covered pregnant or postpartum individual and the covered pregnant or postpartum individual's provider. If the determination is to uphold the denial, the covered pregnant or postpartum individual and the covered pregnant or postpartum individual's provider have the right to file an expedited external appeal. An independent review organization shall make a determination within 72 hours. If the insurer's determination is upheld and it is determined that continued inpatient care, detoxification or withdrawal management, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment, or outpatient treatment is not medically necessary, or if the insurer's determination is not appealed, the insurer shall remain responsible for providing benefits for the inpatient care, detoxification or withdrawal management, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment, or outpatient treatment through the day following the date the determination is made, and the covered pregnant or postpartum individual shall only be responsible for any applicable copayment, deductible, and coinsurance for the stay through that date as applicable under the policy. The covered pregnant or postpartum individual shall not be discharged or released from the inpatient facility, detoxification or withdrawal management, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient treatment, or outpatient treatment until all internal appeals and independent utilization review organization appeals are exhausted. A decision to reverse an adverse determination shall comply with the Health Carrier External Review Act.

(6) Except as otherwise stated in this subsection (b) and subsection (c), the benefits and cost-sharing shall be provided to the same extent as for any other medical condition covered under the policy.

(7) The benefits required by paragraphs (2) and (6) of this subsection (b) are to be provided to (i) all covered pregnant or postpartum individuals with a diagnosis of a mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorder or condition and (ii) all individuals who have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth. The presence of additional related or unrelated diagnoses shall not be a basis to reduce or deny the benefits required by this subsection (b).

(8) Insurers shall cover all services for pregnancy, postpartum, and newborn care that are rendered by perinatal doulas or licensed certified professional midwives, including home births, home visits, and support during labor, abortion, or miscarriage. Coverage shall include the necessary equipment and medical supplies for a home birth. For home visits by a perinatal doula, not counting any home birth, the policy may limit coverage to 16 visits before and 16 visits after a birth, miscarriage, or abortion, provided that the policy shall not be required to cover more than $8,000 for doula visits for each pregnancy and subsequent postpartum period. As used in this paragraph (8), "perinatal doula" has the meaning given in subsection (a) of Section 5-18.5 of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

(9) Coverage for pregnancy, postpartum, and newborn care shall include home visits by lactation consultants and the purchase of breast pumps and breast pump supplies, including such breast pumps, breast pump supplies, breastfeeding supplies, and feeding aids as recommended by the lactation consultant. As used in this paragraph (9), "lactation consultant" means an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, a certified lactation specialist with a certification from Lactation Education Consultants, or a certified lactation counselor as defined in subsection (a) of Section 5-18.10 of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

(9.5) For policies of accident and health insurance amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027, coverage for pregnancy and postpartum care shall include medically necessary blood pressure monitors for pregnant or postpartum insured persons or beneficiaries.

(10) Coverage for postpartum services shall apply for all covered services rendered within the first 12 months after the end of pregnancy, subject to any policy limitation on home visits by a perinatal doula allowed under paragraph (8) of this subsection (b). Nothing in this paragraph (10) shall be construed to require a policy to cover services for an individual who is no longer insured or enrolled under the policy. If an individual becomes insured or enrolled under a new policy, the new policy shall cover the individual consistent with the time period and limitations allowed under this paragraph (10). This paragraph (10) is subject to the requirements of Section 25 of the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act, Section 20 of the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act, and 42 U.S.C. 300gg-113.

(c) All coverage described in subsection (b), other than health care services for home births, shall be provided without cost-sharing, except that, for mental health services, the cost-sharing prohibition does not apply to inpatient or residential services, and, for substance use disorder services, the cost-sharing prohibition applies only to levels of treatment below and not including Level 3.1 (Clinically Managed Low-Intensity Residential), as established by the American Society for Addiction Medicine. This subsection does not apply to the extent such coverage would disqualify a high-deductible health plan from eligibility for a health savings account pursuant to Section 223 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(Source: P.A. 103-650, eff. 1-1-25; 103-701, eff. 1-1-26; 103-720, eff. 1-1-26; 104-28, eff. 1-1-26; 104-417, eff. 8-15-25.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.