Asthma drugs can be pricy, so much so that the U.S. Senate health committee opened an investigation into the situation in January. Shortly afterward, three of the biggest makers of asthma inhalers pledged to cap out-of-pocket costs for some U.S. patients at $35.
insurance
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s initiative targets many of the “utilization management” practices insurance companies use to hold down costs by either denying claims or steering patients toward lower-cost options.
The announcement came in the middle of a legislative session in which Gov. J.B. Pritzker is proposing sweeping changes in state regulation of the health insurance industry.
The changes, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker first unveiled in his State of the State address in February, would limit the ability of companies to deny claims or steer patients toward cheaper, and possibly less effective, treatments.
Illinois’ insurance code prohibits discrimination, but state Rep. Will Guzzardi said there’s a difference between impact and intent. Even if insurance agents aren’t doing it maliciously, Guzzardi said, algorithms end up perpetuating inequities and punishing people of color and low-income drivers.
The case involved a 14-year-old Chicago boy who was struck by a hit-and-run driver in 2020 while riding his bicycle on a public street. He suffered injuries to his right arm, shoulder and thigh that required medical attention.
Geico customers in Illinois will be paying more for car insurance. Crain’s Chicago Business reporter Danny Ecker has details on that story and more.
Patents recently issued to Northbrook-based insurance giant Allstate could allow the company to monitor your car for sources of distraction, collect health data on drivers, and even monitor what's going on around your vehicle. The company says any new technology will improve driver safety, but some are worried it could violate the privacy of drivers, passengers and passers-by.
Time Running Out for State to Apply for Federal Funds
The governor says nearly 700,000 state residents have signed up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. But could inaction in Springfield cost the state big in federal health care funds?
We check the pulse on the first day of the health insurance exchange open enrollment.
