Illinois First Lieutenant Governor Ryan Cloke concluded the Health Policy Conference on the Status of 2024 Reforms by discussing the importance of access to health insurance and the investments the state has made to support Illinoisans with disabilities.
“It is a great honor to be a small part of this collaborative effort to secure and expand health care for all Illinoisans, protect health insurance coverage and make the system stronger and more accessible. [and] It’s about slowly removing the barriers that prevent families from being together.”
Cloak
Croke discussed Gov. JB Pritzker’s Protecting Health Care Act, which the Illinois General Assembly passed during the 2024 legislative session. The law has four main components, including banning step-care treatment, prohibiting prior authorization for Illinoisans with serious mental illness, improving in-network adequacy, and ending unlimited rate increases for large group insurers.
“The Governor’s unwavering commitment to expanding health care is what drove the Health Care Protection Act in Illinois. [and] “It’s about making it easier for the general population across the state to get health care. At the end of the day, I think the expected outcome is that a broader segment of our neighborhoods will have better access to health care.”
Cloak
Croke also spoke about Illinois’ investments in health care and services for people with disabilities, and while the state needs to continue to strengthen those services, he acknowledged that Illinois has made progress in this area.
“The budget passed by the Legislature includes nearly $3 billion in supports for Illinois’ intellectually and developmentally disabled community, provided through the Department of Human Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities, not to mention other ancillary supports and services provided through other state agencies.”
Cloak
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