SPRINGFIELD – Epilepsy specialists will be able to provide telehealth treatment services with the assurance of reimbursement from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services under a new law sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview).

“Patients seeking telehealth treatment for epilepsy and their providers will no longer have to worry about payment parity for services from home,” Senator Fine said. “Epilepsy specialists delivering the same treatment via telehealth as they would in person should be reimbursed accordingly.”

More than 65 million people around the world are living with epilepsy, according to the Epilepsy Foundation, and many have chosen to seek telehealth treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Fine’s law will ensure epilepsy specialists in Illinois receive the reimbursement they deserve for providing treatment via telehealth to individuals with epilepsy or related disorders.

“The world we are living in could not be more different than the pre-pandemic world, and it’s time to normalize and expand telehealth services,” Senator Fine said. “Illinoisans will now be able to seek timely and proximate treatment for epilepsy from the comfort of their homes without lingering concerns regarding coverage.”

House Bill 3025 was signed into law Friday and takes effect immediately.

SPRINGFIELD – To better protect the health of children and all Illinois residents, the use of toxic coal tar-based pavement sealant in construction projects at public schools and state agencies will have to be disclosed under a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview), which was signed into law Friday.

“Children and families across Illinois should be able to live their lives without exposure to cancer-causing chemicals on the playground or at work,” Senator Fine said. “This law will protect our communities today and our environment for years to come.”

Under Senator Fine’s Coal Tar Sealant Act, public schools, public school districts, daycares and state agencies will be required to disclose the use of coal tar-based sealant on playgrounds, parking lots and other paved areas. This measure will also require groups planning to use coal tar-based sealant for a pavement project to look into cleaner alternatives.

High levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) are found in coal tar sealants used in pavement projects, which could lead to environmental contamination as the sealants wear away over time. There are environmentally friendly alternatives to coal tar-based sealants with little to no PAH that are available at a similar cost.

Studies have shown PAH compounds may cause cancer, birth defects and other health complications. Lifelong exposure to coal tar-treated pavements and playgrounds can increase an individual's cancer risk by 38 times.

"Clearing playgrounds, schools, park districts and public buildings of coal tar is an important step to eliminating a pollutant that is a threat to our local environment and a health hazard to Illinoisans," said State Representative Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), who sponsored the bill in the House. "Removing coal tar products will help ensure our communities are a safe place for our kids to grow up."

Senate Bill 692 was signed into law Friday and will take effect Jan. 1, 2023.

SPRINGFIELD – Insurance coverage for infertility treatment for all women, regardless of marital status, will be accessible under a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview), which was signed into law Tuesday.

“Every woman in Illinois deserves insurance coverage for infertility treatment,” Senator Fine said. “If a woman is experiencing fertility issues, she should be covered by insurance regardless of her age, medical history, partner status or sexual orientation.”

Current coverage requirements only protect infertility treatments for women under 35 who are unable to become pregnant after one year of trying, women over 35 who are unable to become pregnant after six months, and women who are not medically able to conceive.

Senator Fine’s measure would expand coverage to include single women and women unable to conceive with a partner.

"I'm proud that Illinois has redefined what infertility means to insurance companies, sending a message to families across Illinois that they're supported in their journey to start or grow their family,” State Representative Margaret Croke (D-Chicago), who sponsored the bill in the House, said. “Because of this legislation, LGBTQ couples, single women, and others won't have to face an added cost to welcome a child into their home, and I'm thrilled to see it signed into law today."

House Bill 3709 was signed into law Tuesday and will take effect January 1, 2022.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois families will be able to access mental health and substance use disorder treatment without traveling long distances or waiting unreasonable amounts of time under a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview), which was signed into law Friday.

“Oftentimes individuals can’t afford to wait days or weeks for mental health or substance use disorder treatment,” Senator Fine said. “It’s imperative that Illinoisans have easy access to timely and reliable mental health care.”

Senator Fine’s measure requires insurers to provide timely and proximate access to treatment for mental, emotional, nervous or substance use disorders and conditions. Insurers will also have to make an exception to out-of-network copay requirements if there are not any in-network providers available nearby or timely enough.

Individuals seeking outpatient mental health treatment will not have to travel longer than 30 minutes or 30 miles for care in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties under Senator Fine’s plan. The limit increases to 60 minutes or 60 miles in other Illinois counties. Additionally, Illinoisans will not have to wait more than 10 business days between requesting an initial appointment and being seen by a provider.

“Mental health care will now be as accessible for Illinois families as other medical care,” Senator Fine said. “This law has the potential to save countless lives across our state.”

Senate Bill 471 was signed into law Friday and will take effect Jan. 1, 2022.