SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – After three years of advocacy in partnership with Thresholds, The People’s Lobby, State Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), and Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), new legislation championed by State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago), was officially signed into law by the Governor today, ultimately increasing access to behavioral health care.
“House Bill 1085 is a critical step toward true parity—ensuring mental healthcare is treated as and reimbursed more in line with physical healthcare,” said LaPointe. “It’s unacceptable that many of us pay expensive monthly premiums and yet are unable to find therapists or psychiatrists who will take our insurance. HB1085 fixes that by holding insurance companies accountable to paying fair reimbursement rates and cutting red tape .”
Under HB1085, as of January 1, 2027, mental health providers will be incentivized to join private insurance networks, thanks to increases in chronically low reimbursement rates and the elimination of red tape, both of which historically keep behavioral health providers out of networks. The new law applies to private insurance regulated by the state, which will impact roughly 2.5 million Illinoisans who today, all too often, have to pay out-of-pocket for therapy and other behavioral health care. Due to these extra costs, far too many people forgo access to critical care altogether. Local government employees, including teachers and first responders, will benefit from this new change, which goes into effect January 1, 2027.
“Both our behavioral health care providers, who do the essential work of keeping our communities safe and healthy, as well as the average Illinoisan looking for care deserve to be heard and seen,” said LaPointe. “The fight for truly affordable and accessible healthcare can feel never-ending, but this legislative win — one that holds insurance companies accountable and breaks so many financial barriers — is a major step for both affordability and access.”
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