Illinois lawmakers push back against Trump administration’s expansion of short-term health insurance

Nov. 28--Illinois consumers will only be able to use controversial, short-term health insurance plans for about six months at a time now that the state legislature has voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of a bill that sets that limit.

Dozens of Illinois consumer advocacy groups had supported the original bill, which took aim at a recent Trump administration change to the rules surrounding short-term plans. Such plans are generally cheaper than traditional health insurance but cover fewer services.

The plans were meant to serve as a stopgap for consumers between health insurance plans. But new federal rules allow them to be used for a year and be renewed for as long as three years. The Trump administration has said the rule change was meant to help more people get affordable coverage.

Consumer advocates, however, sought to limit the use of those plans in Illinois to just six months at a time through the bill.

The bill passed the legislature, but Rauner used his amendatory veto power to rewrite parts of the bill in August. The state Senate voted unanimously earlier this month to override that veto, and the House voted for the override 89-20 Tuesday.

"We are disappointed in the override because the bill limits consumer choice for people who are experiencing a gap in their coverage and are in need of short-term options," said Rauner spokeswoman Elizabeth Tomev in an email.

Many consumer advocates, however, have called short-term plans "junk" insurance. They've worried that consumers who buy the plans will be left in a lurch when they need care that often isn't covered, such as for pre-existing conditions, mental health and prescriptions.

Tuesday's veto override "will protect Illinois consumers from the new federal rule that basically turns back the clock on protections for consumers with pre-existing conditions," said Stephani Becker, associate director of health care justice at the Chicago-based Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.

Other states have made similar moves against the use of short-term plans. New York, New Jersey and California have outlawed the use of short-term plans entirely, and other states have also recently passed laws limiting their use to less than a year.

The legislature's override of Rauner's veto comes as consumers select health insurance plans on the Obamacare exchange. Open enrollment for exchange plans runs through Dec. 15.

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