(70 ILCS 705/6.3) (Text of Section from P.A. 103-818) (This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date ) Sec. 6.3. Health insurance; joint mental health therapy services. If a fire protection district is a self-insurer for purposes of providing health insurance coverage for officers and members of the fire department, the insurance coverage shall include joint mental health therapy services for any officer or member of the fire department and any spouse or partner of the officer or member who resides with the officer or member. The joint mental health therapy services provided under this Section shall be performed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, a licensed clinical psychologist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed clinical professional counselor, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed social worker, or a licensed professional counselor. (Source: P.A. 103-818, eff. 1-1-25.) (Text of Section from P.A. 103-1011) (This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date ) Sec. 6.3. Mental health counseling. (a) As used in this Section: "First responders" means firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, as that term is defined in Section 3.5 of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, dispatched pursuant to a 9-1-1 call, emergency medical dispatchers, as that term is defined in Section 3.70 of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, and public safety telecommunicators, as that term is defined in Section 2 of the Emergency Telephone System Act. "Mental health counseling" means counseling therapy sessions provided by a clinical social worker, professional counselor, or licensed psychologist. (b) If a fire protection district is a self-insurer for purposes of providing health insurance coverage for its employees, the insurance coverage shall include, on and after June 1, 2025, mental health counseling for any employee who is a first responder without imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement on the coverage provided, except that this Section 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. 103-1011, eff. 1-1-25.) |