104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2152

 

Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Cristina Castro

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 375/6.11
215 ILCS 200/10
215 ILCS 200/50
215 ILCS 200/65

    Amends the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Provides that the Act applies to policies issued or delivered to persons who are enrolled in the State Employee Group Health Insurance Program to the extent required under a provision of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 concerning required health benefits. Provides that a health insurance issuer shall not require prior authorization where a covered medication, with the exception of benzodiazepines or Schedule II narcotic drugs: (1) is prescribed for the management and treatment of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes type 1, diabetes type 2, or pre-diabetes; and (2) is for a patient currently managed with an established treatment regimen for at least 12 months. Provides that nothing in the provision prevents a health care plan from denying an enrollee coverage or imposing a prior authorization requirement if the United States Food and Drug Administration has issued a statement about the drug that calls into question the clinical safety of the drug, the drug manufacturer has notified the United States Food and Drug Administration of a manufacturing discontinuance or potential discontinuance of the drug, or the drug manufacturer has removed the drug from the market. In a provision concerning the length of prior authorization approval for treatment of chronic or long-term condition, excludes a provision of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 concerning coverage for injectable medicines to improve glucose or weight loss. Effective January 1, 2027.


LRB104 11051 BAB 21133 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2152LRB104 11051 BAB 21133 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971
5is amended by changing Section 6.11 as follows:
 
6    (5 ILCS 375/6.11)
7    Sec. 6.11. Required health benefits; Illinois Insurance
8Code requirements. The program of health benefits shall
9provide the post-mastectomy care benefits required to be
10covered by a policy of accident and health insurance under
11Section 356t of the Illinois Insurance Code. The program of
12health benefits shall provide the coverage required under
13Sections 356g, 356g.5, 356g.5-1, 356m, 356q, 356u, 356u.10,
14356w, 356x, 356z.2, 356z.4, 356z.4a, 356z.5, 356z.6, 356z.8,
15356z.9, 356z.10, 356z.11, 356z.12, 356z.13, 356z.14, 356z.15,
16356z.17, 356z.22, 356z.25, 356z.26, 356z.29, 356z.30, 356z.32,
17356z.33, 356z.36, 356z.40, 356z.41, 356z.45, 356z.46, 356z.47,
18356z.51, 356z.53, 356z.54, 356z.55, 356z.56, 356z.57, 356z.59,
19356z.60, 356z.61, 356z.62, 356z.64, 356z.67, 356z.68, and
20356z.70, and 356z.71, 356z.74, 356z.76, and 356z.77 of the
21Illinois Insurance Code. The program of health benefits must
22comply with Sections 155.22a, 155.37, 355b, 356z.19, 370c, and
23370c.1 and Article XXXIIB of the Illinois Insurance Code, and

 

 

SB2152- 2 -LRB104 11051 BAB 21133 b

1the Prior Authorization Reform Act. The program of health
2benefits shall provide the coverage required under Section
3356m of the Illinois Insurance Code and, for the employees of
4the State Employee Group Insurance Program only, the coverage
5as also provided in Section 6.11B of this Act. The Department
6of Insurance shall enforce the requirements of this Section
7with respect to Sections 370c and 370c.1 of the Illinois
8Insurance Code and the Prior Authorization Reform Act; all
9other requirements of this Section shall be enforced by the
10Department of Central Management Services.
11    Rulemaking authority to implement Public Act 95-1045, if
12any, is conditioned on the rules being adopted in accordance
13with all provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure
14Act and all rules and procedures of the Joint Committee on
15Administrative Rules; any purported rule not so adopted, for
16whatever reason, is unauthorized.
17(Source: P.A. 102-30, eff. 1-1-22; 102-103, eff. 1-1-22;
18102-203, eff. 1-1-22; 102-306, eff. 1-1-22; 102-642, eff.
191-1-22; 102-665, eff. 10-8-21; 102-731, eff. 1-1-23; 102-768,
20eff. 1-1-24; 102-804, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22;
21102-816, eff. 1-1-23; 102-860, eff. 1-1-23; 102-1093, eff.
221-1-23; 102-1117, eff. 1-13-23; 103-8, eff. 1-1-24; 103-84,
23eff. 1-1-24; 103-91, eff. 1-1-24; 103-420, eff. 1-1-24;
24103-445, eff. 1-1-24; 103-535, eff. 8-11-23; 103-551, eff.
258-11-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-718, eff. 7-19-24; 103-751,
26eff. 8-2-24; 103-870, eff. 1-1-25; 103-914, eff. 1-1-25;

 

 

SB2152- 3 -LRB104 11051 BAB 21133 b

1103-918, eff. 1-1-25; 103-951, eff. 1-1-25; 103-1024, eff.
21-1-25; revised 11-26-24.)
 
3    Section 10. The Prior Authorization Reform Act is amended
4by changing Sections 10, 50, and 65 as follows:
 
5    (215 ILCS 200/10)
6    Sec. 10. Applicability; scope. This Act applies to health
7insurance coverage as defined in the Illinois Health Insurance
8Portability and Accountability Act, policies issued or
9delivered to persons who are enrolled in the State Employees
10Group Health Insurance Program to the extent required under
11Section 6.11 of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of
121971, and policies issued or delivered in this State to the
13Department of Healthcare and Family Services and providing
14coverage to persons who are enrolled under Article V of the
15Illinois Public Aid Code or under the Children's Health
16Insurance Program Act, amended, delivered, issued, or renewed
17on or after the effective date of this Act, with the exception
18of employee or employer self-insured health benefit plans
19under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
201974, health care provided pursuant to the Workers'
21Compensation Act or the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act,
22county, municipal, and State, employee, unit of local
23government, or school district health plans. This Act does not
24diminish a health care plan's duties and responsibilities

 

 

SB2152- 4 -LRB104 11051 BAB 21133 b

1under other federal or State law or rules promulgated
2thereunder. This Act is not intended to alter or impede the
3provisions of any consent decree or judicial order to which
4the State or any of its agencies is a party.
5(Source: P.A. 102-409, eff. 1-1-22.)
 
6    (215 ILCS 200/50)
7    Sec. 50. Limitations on Review of prior authorization
8requirements.
9    (a) A health insurance issuer shall not require
10periodically review its prior authorization requirements and
11consider removal of prior authorization where a covered
12medication, with the exception of benzodiazepines or Schedule
13II narcotic drugs requirements:
14        (1) is where a medication or procedure prescribed for
15    the management and treatment of multiple sclerosis,
16    rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus,
17    diabetes type 1, diabetes type 2, or pre-diabetes is
18    customary and properly indicated or is a treatment for the
19    clinical indication as supported by peer-reviewed medical
20    publications; and or
21        (2) is for a patient patients currently managed with
22    an established treatment regimen for at least 12 months.
23    (b) Nothing in this Section prevents a health care plan
24from denying an enrollee coverage or imposing a prior
25authorization requirement if the United States Food and Drug

 

 

SB2152- 5 -LRB104 11051 BAB 21133 b

1Administration has issued a statement about the drug that
2calls into question the clinical safety of the drug, the drug
3manufacturer has notified the United States Food and Drug
4Administration of a manufacturing discontinuance or potential
5discontinuance of the drug as required by Section 506C of the
6Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as codified in 21 U.S.C.
7356c, or the drug manufacturer has removed the drug from the
8market.
9    (c) Except to the extent required by medical exceptions
10processes for prescription drugs set forth in Section 45.1 of
11the Managed Care and Patient Rights Act, nothing in this
12Section shall require a policy to cover any care, treatment,
13or services for any health condition that the terms of
14coverage otherwise completely exclude from the policy's
15covered benefits without regard for whether the care,
16treatment, or services are medically necessary.
17(Source: P.A. 102-409, eff. 1-1-22.)
 
18    (215 ILCS 200/65)
19    Sec. 65. Length of prior authorization approval for
20treatment for chronic or long-term conditions. If a health
21insurance issuer requires a prior authorization for a
22recurring health care service or maintenance medication for
23the treatment of a chronic or long-term condition other than
24those specified in Section 50, the approval shall remain valid
25for the lesser of 12 months from the date the health care

 

 

SB2152- 6 -LRB104 11051 BAB 21133 b

1professional or health care provider receives the prior
2authorization approval or the length of the treatment as
3determined by the patient's health care professional. This
4Section shall not apply to the prescription of benzodiazepines
5or Schedule II narcotic drugs, such as opioids. This Section
6does not apply to Section 6.11C of the State Employees Group
7Insurance Act of 1971. Except to the extent required by
8medical exceptions processes for prescription drugs set forth
9in Section 45.1 of the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights
10Act, nothing in this Section shall require a policy to cover
11any care, treatment, or services for any health condition that
12the terms of coverage otherwise completely exclude from the
13policy's covered benefits without regard for whether the care,
14treatment, or services are medically necessary.
15(Source: P.A. 102-409, eff. 1-1-22.)
 
16    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
171, 2027.