NASW-Illinois Chapter Warns: Without Action, Mental Health Access Will Move Further To a Luxury Few Can Afford
- NASW-IL Staff
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2025
SPRINGFIELD—The National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter (NASW-IL) is sounding the alarm—if lawmakers fail to pass House Bill 1085 (HB1085) sponsored by Sen. Karina Villa, the mental health workforce crisis in Illinois will deepen, and access to care will become a privilege reserved for the wealthy.
Across the state, clinical social workers and other mental health professionals are leaving insurance networks in record numbers. Why? Because they are burned out by insurance red tape, denied payments, clawbacks, and ultimately, they are forced to accept rates that don’t cover the cost of care. Increasingly, providers are opting out of commercial insurance altogether and shifting to private pay models—leaving behind those who can’t afford out-of-pocket treatment.
“We are rapidly moving toward a two-tiered mental health system,” said Kyle Hillman, NASW-IL Director of Legislative Affairs. “If you’re wealthy, you’ll have your choice of providers. If you rely on insurance, your choices will become highly limited. We are moving toward a system where you will be stuck on a waitlist—if you can find someone taking your plan at all.”
While the insurance industry and state agencies push back on HB1085 citing complexity, NASW-Illinois insists the real cost is already being paid—by every Illinoisan who can’t find care when they need it most.
“If the state fails to act, we are cementing a system where only the affluent get access to timely, consistent mental health care,” Hillman said. “We cannot afford to wait. The window to fix this is now and it starts and ends with rates.”
For more advocacy-related news from the NASW-Illinois Chapter, visit the "Advocacy" sub-tab on our "News" page. Or check out our Bill Tracker which shows all of the bills the NASW-Illinois Chapter is tracking for the current Illinois legislative session.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with over 120,000 members. The NASW-Illinois Chapter is one of the association's largest chapters representing over 20,000 licensed Illinois social workers and school social workers, with over 5,000 active members. NASW strives to advance social work careers, grow social work businesses, and protect the profession.