The Illinois General Assembly amended the Illinois Insurance Code. A group or individual accident and health insurance policy that provides dependent coverage and is issued, amended, delivered, or renewed after Jan. 1, 2026, must also provide dependent coverage for a qualifying dependent parent or stepparent of the policyholder.

The Illinois General Assembly passed the Access to Affordable Insulin Act. The Act provides that the Department of Insurance shall offer a program allowing participants to purchase insulin at a discounted, postrebate price.

The Illinois General Assembly amended the Consent by Minors to Health Care Services Act. A parent who consents to a health care service for their child may inspect and copy the part of the child’s medical record that relates to the specific health care service the parent authorized.

The Illinois General assembly enacted the Equity and Representation in Health Care Act. The Act’s purpose is to recognize and address barriers that have prevented proportional representation by race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability status in the health care provider community.

On Aug. 4, the First District of the Illinois Appellate Court held that involuntary electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) would be allowed for a patient who had previously declined the treatment.

This Act amends the Illinois Anatomical Gift Act by providing that a hospital, physician, surgeon, procurement organization, or another person shall not deem an individual ineligible to receive an anatomical gift or organ transplant solely based on an individual’s mental or physical disability.

The Illinois General Assembly enacted Public Act 102-0004, spearheaded by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. The legislation focuses on correcting a system of injustice and racism in the Black community that has contributed to higher rates of medical problems among African Americans.

The Illinois General Assembly amended the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act by adding a new section titled “Re-establishing discontinued general acute care hospital.”

The Illinois Public Aid Code has been amended by changing section 11-5.4 ("Expedited long-term care eligibility determination and enrollment").

An amendment to the Illinois Insurance Code expands the fertility obligations of health insurers with enrollees who are facing iatrogenic infertility.

Following a change to the Illinois Public Aid Code, Medicaid-managed care organizations must now submit all regular reports required, either by contract or statute, electronically. Ad hoc reports may be collected in alternative manners.

With the passage of the Alternatives to Opioids Act of 2018, Illinois has expanded the group of patients eligible for the existing medical cannabis program: Those who would have otherwise been prescribed opioids.

The Illinois Controlled Substances Act is amended to mandate a Controlled Substance-Continuing Education requirement for opioid prescribers.

The Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code was amended to strengthen the powers of attorney for health care and declarations for mental health treatment.

The amendatory act restricts the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act ("the Act") from applying to an individual or group policy for dental or vision insurance or to a limited health service organization with a network plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed in Illinois on or after Jan. 1, 2019.

Doctors prescribing opioids in Illinois will now be evaluated against the professionalism conduct standards outlined by a national medical board.

To help protect federal healthcare revenue, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is now better equipped to recoup inappropriate payments.

The Supreme Court of Illinois concluded that liens obtained by hospitals under the Health Care Services Lien Act (770 ILCS 23/1 et seq.) (the "Lien Act"), are not limited to or conditioned upon a finding or allocation for medical expenses for injuries sustained by a minor.

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services ("HFS") adopted a new amendment aimed at resolving claims for Medicaid medical payments related to inaccurate or updated enrollment information (40 Ill. Reg. 15645).

Absent a written court order explicitly directing a plenary guardian to exercise powers of principal under agency pursuant to the Illinois Power of Attorney Act ("POA Act"), the appointment of a plenary guardian does not automatically revoke an existing POA for health care.

Amendments to the Control of Sexually Transmissible Infections Code add those certified to provide HIV testing and counseling to the definition of health care professional.

The Department of Public Health added more conditions for which patients may use medical cannabis under the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Patient Registry.

A proposed amendment to the Illinois Income Tax Act would provide deductions to residents who lost coverage because their cooperative ceased doing business in the state.

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services Law of the Civil and Administrative Code of Illinois was amended to create licenses for continuum of care facilities that serve individuals with developmental disabilities.

The professional regulations governing dentists added a new section that allows dentists to administer flu vaccines.

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services adopted an amendment to the Medical Assistance Programs reducing personal need allowances for residents of assisted living facilities.

The Department of Public Health adopted amendments to allow for the temporary removal of a dead human body to an out-of-state location for organ and/or tissue harvesting.