Illinois
New Illinois bill addresses health insurance concerns
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Giving the power of quality health care access to patients and their doctors, a new health care bill makes its way through Illinois’ legislature.
The Healthcare Protection Act targets insurance companies that decide what treatment options a patient has, and how quickly they can be received. HPA passed the Illinois House of Representatives with an 81-25 vote. Receiving bipartisan support, Governor JB Pritzker says for too long, insurance agencies have made decisions that medical professionals are more qualified to make.
“We’re protecting Illinois families,” Pritzker says. “We’re talking to doctors and patients and consumers with one message: this bill will save lives and it will lower costs for millions of Illinoisians.”
Supporters say the bill would not only stop insurance companies from unfairly hiking rates, but it would also eliminate prior authorization for crisis mental health situations and ban what is known as step-therapy; when an insurance company requires a patient to use a cheaper, less-effective treatment than the one prescribed by a doctor.
OSF Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lisa Davis says doctors would agree they spend too much time dealing with the red tape from insurance companies that could have been spent treating patients.
“Well, you need a prior authorization. We get the prior authorization, something comes up and now ‘Oh, it’s expired.’ Now you have to wait and do it again and the whole time the patients sitting here, but not getting the true care that they need,” Davis says.
HPA also puts an end to plans that don’t meet the minimum requirements of the Affordable Care Act, joining 12 other states with the same ruling. The bill would also improve network adequacy, ensuring people can easily find healthcare professionals by requiring insurance companies to update their provider directories regularly to accurately show provider availability.
“We are requiring insurance companies to use the same treatment criteria to determine medical necessity that doctors do,” Pritzker says. “That way patients get what they need.”
HPA will also require insurance agencies to post which treatments need prior authorization. Should the bill pass the Senate, Illinois will be the first state to ban prior authorization when it comes to inpatient mental health.
Expected to be discussed on the Senate floor in the coming months, HPA supporters are confident the bill will pass.
Copyright 2024 WIFR. All rights reserved.
Illinois
Thousands of Illinois residents report power outages amid storms
Historic tree dating back to Abraham Lincoln damaged in Springfield
It may be the last living tree standing when Abraham Lincoln and his family lived in the Springfield neighborhood from 1844 to 1861.
More than 30,000 Illinois residents reported power outages Wednesday morning amid severe storms and destructive winds.
The National Weather Service forecast two rounds of severe weather throughout the day, issuing a tornado watch early Wednesday morning across central Illinois.
Where were power outages reported in Illinois?
More than 35,000 of the more than 5.8 million customers tracked on PowerOutage.com reported outages Wednesday, as of noon.
The majority of these outages were concentrated in west-central Illinois in Warren, Henderson and Woodford counties.
More than 93% of the customers tracked in Henderson County and nearly 60% of those in Warren County were impacted by outages.
Less widespread outages were also reported in DeKalb, Mercer, Knox, Menard, Jefferson and Gallatin counties.
Electric service company Amaren was by far the most impacted utility provider, followed Commonwealth Edison Company and Corn Belt Energy Corporation.
Illinois power outage map
Report power outages in Illinois
Illinois residents can report power outages in their area at PowerOutage.com.
Illinois power outage tracker
To track where power outages have been reported and where they have been restored, follow the USA Today power outage tracker.
Chicago weather radar
Central Illinois weather radar
Illinois
Pritzker calls on Bears to clarify what they’re seeking in Illinois stadium deal
Skip to content
Contact Us
Illinois
Pritzker says Bears must express what they want from Illinois, remains open to special session
CHICAGO (WLS) — The finger-pointing surrounding the Bears stadium saga continues with elected officials from Illinois, Chicago, and Indiana all placing the blame for the continued uncertainty either on each other, or in some cases, on the team.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker spent about 10 minutes touting the highlights from Illinois’ eighth consecutive balanced budget. But not until he was probed about the Chicago Bears apparent focus on Hammond, Indiana for a new stadium did he acknowledge the elephant in the room.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
“The reality is that the Bears have to express themselves about what it is that they want,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker referenced a bill passed in the House and a different bill passed in the Senate, saying that the Bears now need to make it clear what it is in those two bills that the organization needs in order to build a stadium in Illinois.
While the Bears say they are advancing stadium development in Hammond, Pritzker says he remains open to a special legislative session this summer if an agreement can be reached with the team. And in the meantime, lines of communication remain open.
“I think lots of people have gotten calls, including my administration and me, so they have thoughts, but they have not been clear about what is the bill that they need, and how do they need to look, and then, can they get the votes necessary to get it done in the House and the Senate,” Pritzker said.
Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch echoed the governor’s sentiments on a special session but downplayed any urgency brought on by the Bears’ plans in Indiana.
“The statement that I saw the first week of June was very different than the statement we saw in February. In February, that statement was very specific about Wolf Point. In the statement that came out in June was very generic that they are looking at sites, which tells me that they’ve taken a step backwards,” Welch said.
Meanwhile, in Indiana, Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott touched on the Bears stadium on his Left of Center podcast on Tuesday morning.
“We’re getting close, to being, you know… We’re getting close,” McDermott said.
The mayor spent a few minutes on his podcast reacting to a speech from Republican Sen. Jim Banks from Indiana, who took aim at Pritzker last week, saying his biggest legacy will be losing the Chicago Bears to Indiana. McDermott, a Democrat, said he has been told by other leaders in Indiana to avoid providing any bulletin board material.
“I think that’s a better speech a month from now when this thing is over. It’s a much better speech in a month than it is right now. I don’t think that helps too much,” McDermott said.
Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
-
Milwaukee, WI21 seconds agoMilwaukee woman found safe, reported critically missing Wednesday
-
Atlanta, GA7 minutes agoMetro Atlanta communities celebrate Juneteenth – SaportaReport
-
Minneapolis, MN10 minutes agoFinal defendant sentenced in smuggling ring that mailed fentanyl to the Twin Cities in stuffed animals
-
Indianapolis, IN15 minutes agoFormer Indiana Women’s Prison closer to redevelopment
-
Pittsburg, PA22 minutes agoJune turns dangerous: Severe storms, flash floods hit Pittsburgh
-
Augusta, GA25 minutes agoBody found in pond on Gordon Highway in Augusta
-
Washington, D.C30 minutes agoTakeaways from the first ranked choice voting election in Washington, DC – FairVote
-
Cleveland, OH37 minutes agoBrown Leads Letter to FBI Demanding Answers on Raid Targeting Voter Registration in NE Ohio