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HB 3456

Relating to Internet safety policies for minors.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Court Boice

Illinois insurers must ensure access to nonopioid pain management options, with DOI guidelines and transparency, effective Jan 1, 2027.

In committee upon adjournment.
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Bill Summary · HB 3456

Summary — HB 3456 (2025): Relating to Internet safety policies for minors (title appears mismatched; bill content addresses pain-management coverage)

Note: The bill title as provided references “Internet safety policies for minors,” but the introduced legislative text and synopsis address required health-insurance coverage for a broad spectrum of pain‑management services (including nonopioid and nonmedication alternatives). This summary reflects the substance of the introduced text.

Sponsor & Status

  • Sponsor: Rep. Joyce Mason
  • Introduced: Feb 18–27, 2025
  • Current status: In committee upon adjournment (last action: 2025-06-28)
  • Committees of referral during consideration: Rules; Insurance; Public Education; others noted in history

Purpose / Intent

To require health insurance issuers and various public/self‑insured health plans in Illinois to develop and implement plans ensuring adequate coverage of — and access to — a broad spectrum of pain‑management services, with emphasis on nonopioid, nonnarcotic medications and nonmedication alternatives as alternatives to prescribing opioid/narcotic drugs.

Key provisions

  • Adds new requirements to the Illinois Insurance Code (proposed new section 356z.80) and amends multiple statutes governing public and local plans, including:
    • State Employees Group Insurance Act (5 ILCS 375/6.11)
    • Counties Code (55 ILCS 5/5-1069.3)
    • Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/10-4-2.3)
    • School Code (105 ILCS 5/10-22.3f)
    • Health Maintenance Organization Act, Limited Health Service Organization Act, Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and Illinois Public Aid Code
  • Effective application date for issuers: on or after January 1, 2027.
  • Requirement for each health insurance issuer doing business in Illinois to:
    • Develop a plan ensuring adequate coverage of a broad array of pain‑management services, including nonopioid/non‑narcotic medications and nonmedication therapies (e.g., physical therapy, behavioral health interventions, interventional procedures — specific modalities to be defined by Department of Insurance guidelines).
    • Provide participating providers with educational materials about the issuer’s pain‑management access plan.
    • Post plan information on a publicly accessible issuer website.
  • Department of Insurance (DOI) responsibilities:
    • Develop guidelines for acceptable plans.
    • Review submitted plans and evaluate adequacy of access to nonopioid and nonmedication options.
    • Specifically assess whether insurer policies create “unduly preferential coverage of and access to prescription opioids” relative to other pain‑management options.
  • Enforcement: DOI to enforce requirements where provided; amendments extend similar coverage obligations to various public/self‑insured entities.

Who is affected

  • Private health insurance issuers operating in Illinois after Jan 1, 2027.
  • Public/self‑insured employer plans: State employee plans, county and municipal self‑insured plans, school district plans.
  • Health maintenance organizations, limited health service organizations, voluntary health service plans.
  • Recipients under Illinois Public Aid (Medicaid) insofar as the Public Aid Code is amended.
  • Participating health care providers (receive educational materials) and patients seeking pain management.

Implementation & Unresolved items

  • The statute delegates significant detail to DOI guidelines — the exact services covered, utilization controls, network/access metrics, and cost‑sharing specifics will depend on subsequent DOI rulemaking and plan submissions.
  • Fiscal impacts (costs to insurers, employers, or state programs) are not specified in the introduced text.
  • The bill text contains many cross‑references to existing Insurance Code sections (e.g., 356z series); those references indicate the provision is added into an existing framework of required health benefits.

Legislative timeline

  • Filed and read in early 2025; referred to multiple committees. Last recorded status: in committee upon adjournment (June 28, 2025). Further committee action or amendments may follow if re‑introduced or carried over.

Bottom line

HB 3456 mandates that insurers and public/self‑insured plans in Illinois create and make transparent plans to ensure meaningful access to nonopioid and nonmedication pain‑management options, with the Department of Insurance setting reviewing standards and monitoring for undue favoritism toward opioid prescribing. The effective compliance date for private issuers is January 1, 2027; details will depend on DOI guidance and subsequent plan filings.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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