Public Act 0332 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1449 Enrolled LRB101 05881 SMS 50901 b

Public Act 101-0332

AN ACT concerning regulation.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Insurance Code is amended by adding Section 370c.2 as follows:

(215 ILCS 5/370c.2 new)

Sec. 370c.2. Task force on disability income insurance; parity for behavioral health conditions.

(a) As used in this Section, "behavioral health condition" means any mental, emotional, nervous, or substance use disorder or condition that falls under any of the diagnostic categories listed in the mental and behavioral disorders chapter of the current edition of the International Classification of Disease or that is listed in the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

(b) The Department shall form a task force to review the plans and policies for individual and group short-term and long-term disability income insurance issued and offered to individuals and employers in this State in order to examine the use of such insurance for behavioral health conditions. The Task Force shall work cooperatively with the insurance industry, community organizations, businesses and business coalitions, and advocacy groups to reduce the stigma of behavioral health conditions. The task force shall be comprised of the following members:

(1) 2 representatives of the disability income insurance industry appointed by the Governor.

(2) 2 experts in the behavioral health conditions and treatment industry appointed by the Governor.

(3) 2 consumers of disability income insurance who have experienced or are experiencing a behavioral health condition appointed by the Governor.

(4) One member of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(5) One member of the General Assembly appointed by the President of the Senate.

(6) One member of the General Assembly appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

(7) One member of the General Assembly appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.

(c) The task force shall elect a chairperson from its membership and shall have the authority to determine its meeting schedule, hearing schedule, and agendas.

(d) Appointments shall be made 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly.

(e) Members shall serve without compensation and shall be adults and residents of Illinois.

(f) The task force shall:

(1) review existing plans and policies for individual and group short-term and long-term disability income insurance issued, delivered, and offered in the State;

(2) compare coverage provided by short-term and long-term disability income insurance policies for behavioral health conditions with coverage provided by such policies for physical conditions and the reasons for differences in coverage;

(3) gather information on the cost of requiring individual and group short-term and long-term disability income insurance to cover behavioral health conditions at parity with physical conditions; and

(4) provide recommendations on the economic feasibility and cost effectiveness of requiring individual and group short-term and long-term disability income insurance to cover behavioral health conditions.

(g) Any of the findings, recommendations, and other information determined by the task force to be relevant shall be made available on the Department's website.

(h) The task force shall submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 31, 2020.

(i) The task force is dissolved and this Section is repealed on December 31, 2021.

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

Effective Date: 8/9/2019