SPRINGFIELD – Insurance coverage expanded for emergency neonatal intensive care on Jan. 1, thanks to State Senator Laura Fine.

“Newborns deserve immediate care in the first critical hours of life and parents deserve peace of mind to know the services are covered,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This new law ensures no family is denied life-saving treatment for their child.”

Neonatal care for premature or critically ill newborns often requires specialized treatments that might not be covered by a patient’s health insurance network. Under Fine’s law, private insurers are required to cover emergency neonatal care, regardless of whether the provider is in or out of the patient’s network. This ensures families are not billed for greater out-of-pocket costs than they would have incurred with an in-network provider.

“This is a compassionate measure that seeks to give newborns a fighting chance at a healthy life,” said Fine. “Parents should be able to focus on their newborn, rather than be burdened by hefty out-of-pocket costs for choosing to protect their child.”

House Bill 2464 took effect Jan. 1.