BRIEF: New Illinois law prohibits many insurance plans from dropping drug coverage midyear

Aug. 29--A new Illinois law soon will prohibit insurance companies, in many cases, from yanking coverage for medications midyear.

A measure signed into law by Gov. Bruce Rauner last week will limit the practice of so-called nonmedical switching -- in which insurance companies stop covering a medication after consumers are already enrolled in a health plan.

Under the new law that takes effect Jan. 1, insurance companies that want to change a drug's coverage midyear must notify the patient at least 60 days in advance and allow the patient's doctor to certify that coverage must be continued.

"Illinoisans, especially those who are managing complex conditions, will be able to rest easier knowing that they can't be blindsided by coverage switches that can deteriorate their health, impose financial hardships and affect their overall quality of life," said Bryan Anderson, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago, in a news release.

Other states, including California, Maine, Nevada, Louisiana and Texas, have similar prohibitions.

The law will not apply to self-insured plans, which are types of plans offered by many large employers and unions.

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