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Illinois could become the first state to eliminate prior authorization for mental health care, which would put “patients before profits,” said A.J. Wilhelmi, President and CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA).

IHA and the Illinois hospital community strongly support Gov. JB Pritzker’s legislation to reform predatory health insurance practices and protect patients. The Healthcare Protection Act (HB 5395) would address a top challenge for hospitals in “delivering timely and appropriate healthcare, especially when it comes to critically important mental health services,” Wilhelmi said.

The Governor’s legislation would prohibit prior authorization for inpatient mental health admissions for the first 72 hours. This change would ensure patients receive the specialized mental healthcare they need and deserve.

Wilhelmi noted the “bill that would ensure healthcare professionals are the ones making final decisions when it comes to their patients’ medical care, not insurance bureaucrats,” adding that insurance companies use prior authorization to benefit their bottom line at the expense of the patient.

IHA urges passage of HB 5395 and passage of legislation that addresses the same issues with Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs), which deny coverage requests at twice the rate of Medicare. Support HB 4977 and SB 3372.