Illinois General Assembly Advances Vital New Health Insurance Consumer Protections
Today, the
Passage of the NAT Act represents an important victory for patients. This comprehensive legislation creates several new protections for consumers who purchase state regulated private health plans. Health insurers are increasingly cutting costs by offering plans with access to a limited range of physicians and hospitals. The growth of these "narrow network" plans has resulted in a dramatic reduction in access to health care.
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H.B. 311 Highlights:
1. Insurance companies will have to make sure their networks meet patients' needs. That means insurance plan networks must have enough health facilities and doctors, including specialists, in close proximity to where their policyholders live.
2. Health plans must be more transparent. Insurers will be obligated to maintain updated provider directories. If a doctor or hospital is dropped from a network, the insurance company will have to notify patients in a timely fashion to help the patient avoid surprise out-of-network charges. Doctors will also have new patient notification requirements if they choose to leave a network.
3. Patient care will not be disrupted due to changes in health insurance networks. A patient's doctor may be dropped from the network, but pregnant women or patients with complex conditions will be able to stay with their doctor long enough to make a smooth transition - without getting charged extra.
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