Healthcare

Amends the Underserved Health Care Provider Workforce Act. Changes the definition of "designated shortage area" to mean an area designated as a medically underserved area or a health professional shortage area (rather than a physician shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a critical health manpower shortage area). Changes the term "eligible medical student" to "eligible student", and includes in the definition of that term a person who is studying optometry in an optometry college or institution located in Illinois and that a person may agree to practice full-time in a designated shortage area as an optometrist or anesthesiologist one year for each year he or she is a scholarship recipient. Includes a rural health center, a federally qualified health center, a federally qualified health center look alike, and an optometric office in the definition of "medical facility". Includes an optometrist in the definition of "eligible health care provider". Includes an obstetrician or gynecologist in the definition of "primary care physician". Includes loan repayment recipients in a provision regarding scholarship recipients who fail to fulfill specified obligations, and provides that the amounts paid by these scholarship or loan repayment recipients shall be deposited into the fund where the payment originated from (rather than the Community Health Center Care Fund). Repeals a different provision defining "primary care physician". Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Defines "first-choice pharmacy". Provides that, if a first-choice pharmacy is unable to fill or provide a patient with a prescription, the first-choice pharmacy may forward the prescription order to another pharmacy that is able to fill the prescription.

Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no health insurer may charge a patient out-of-network rates for neonatal care at any hospital.

Amends the School Code. Provides that pupils absent from school due to the following valid causes may be counted as in attendance for the number of clock hours and days that the pupil was absent due to the valid cause: (1) illness, including the mental or behavioral health of the student up to 5 days for mental and behavioral health; (2) attendance at a verified medical or therapeutic appointment; and (3) death in the immediate family.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, shall not impose any prior authorization or utilization management controls on covered behavioral health services. Makes conforming changes to the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, and the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Insurance and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a process for receiving complaints from providers and covered individuals for violations of the mandate. Grants the Department of Insurance and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services the authority to issue cease and desist orders and administrative fines. Amends the Prior Authorization Reform Act. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall adopt rules consistent with the Act. Provisions amending the Prior Authorization Reform Act are effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that all group and individual health insurance policies issued, delivered, amended, or renewed in Illinois that provide coverage for medical or surgical conditions shall also provide coverage for crisis services, regardless of any difference in billing codes used for such services. Provides that coverage for crisis services may not be denied or restricted based on the modality or setting of the services; and that crisis services shall be covered whether delivered in person, through telehealth, or in a residential or outpatient setting, to the extent that such services are covered in other settings or modalities under the policy. Makes conforming changes to the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Telehealth Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Amends the Strengthening and Transforming Behavioral Health Crisis Care in Illinois Act. Renames the Act the Crisis Continuum Sustainability Act. Provides that on or before December 31, 2028, and every 5 years thereafter, the Department of Human Services shall, subject to available funding and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and State bodies, develop and submit a Statewide Crisis Continuum Strategic Plan to the Office of the Governor and the General Assembly, with the goal of ensuring every Illinoisan has timely access to appropriate and supportive behavioral health response during a behavioral health crisis. Requires the strategic plan to identify statewide goals, key stakeholders, and performance metrics for expanding access to behavioral health crisis continuum services across Illinois; address gaps in service delivery; and other matters.

Appropriates $2,500,000 to the State Board of Education for the purpose of a grant to the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago's Center for Childhood Resilience for the Resilience Education to Advance Community Healing Statewide Initiative and Resilience-Supportive Schools Illinois program. Effective July 1, 2025.

Appropriates $20,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for a grant to the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center for the purpose of constructing a new building on the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center’s campus to house the Chicago Advocacy Network for Hope initiative and to increase capacity for mental health treatment for children and adults affected by sexual and domestic violence. Effective July 1, 2025.

HB 3991 proposes to appropriate $5,000,000 from the state's General Revenue Fund. This funding is designated for the Department of Human Services (DHS) to support Statewide 211 services. Statewide 211 typically refers to a telephone information and referral system that connects people to local health and human services. The bill is set to become effective on July 1, 2025.

Condemns President Donald Trump's cruel and lawless efforts to block lifesaving services that help people access healthcare, put food on the table, afford housing, and more. Urges the United States Congress to take clear and unequivocal action to check the undemocratic actions of the Trump Administration that violate the constitutional separation of power. Renews the commitment to helping Illinois families get ahead by supporting the services they need to be their best, expanding access to affordable healthcare, and reining in the cost of living.