Take Action! Slip as Proponent for HB1085 TODAY

NASW-Illinois Chapter membership helps us to push for legislation that benefit Illinois social workers and the clients they serve. As the largest membership association in Illinois advocating on behalf of social workers, consider adding your voice to our efforts and join/renew your NASW membership today.

HB1085, Senate Amendment 1, has been filed and will be heard in the Illinois Senate Executive Committee today, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at 2:00pm. This bill will result in a rate increase for all mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUD) services through most state-regulated private health insurance plans in 2027 and contains other important reforms.

TAKE ACTION NOW! The amendment will not be "posted" until later today due to procedural requirements, so we are asking everyone to slip as a proponent for the bill NOW!

SLIP AS A PROPONENT FOR HB1085:

1. Go to: https://my.ilga.gov/WitnessSlip/Create/156791?committeeHearingId=22224&LegislationId=156791&LegislationDocumentId=196557&SCommittees-page=1

2. Fill out your name/address/contact info. If you are slipping on behalf of your organization, use your business address. Use your personal info if you are submitting as an individual.

3. Firm/Agency: Your organization. If you are doing this as an individual, put "Self."

4. Title: Put your organizational title; if submitting as an individual, put "Self." This section must be filled out for it to process.

5. Persons/Groups Represented: Organization or Self

6. Position: Be sure to check PROPONENT!

7. Testimony: Check "Record of Appearance Only" which means you are showing support but are not speaking or submitting written testimony

8. Agree to the Terms: Check the box

9. Create Slip/Captcha: Click the "Create Slip" Button

10. You should get an e-mail receipt of your slip.

Thank you all for all your partnership on this bill, particularly our chief sponsors, State Representative Lindsey LaPointe and State Senator Karina Villa. This has been a monumental team effort!

What does HB1085 Do?

1. A minimum reimbursement rate for MH/SUD services will be set by administrative rule and must have the effect of being between the average and 75th percentile of reimbursement for all medical/surgical services as outlined in Appendix C-13 of the Research Triangle Institute Report. (See attached summary chart noting the med/surg percentages). This equates to a rate being set between 125% of the Medicare rate and 168% of the Medicare rate for the MH/SUD service; and

2. The rate floor must also be above the average reimbursement rate paid by the PPOs of the largest health insurer in Illinois for MH/SUD services. This is several percentage points above the average in the RTI report.

3. The rate will be set by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and enforced by the Department of Insurance. It will be put in Administrative Rule by both Departments.

4. If DHS uses a federal healthcare program (i.e., Medicare) as the rate benchmark and there is a decrease in federal reimbursement, MH/SUD rates will remain the same as the previous year (i.e., rates will not decrease).

5. The bill applies to all state-regulated plans except for the state employee health plan and all HMOs. It will apply to school, municipal and county plans.

6. The amendment also requires coverage of same-day BH services, requires coverage of 60-minute therapy without onerous auditing requirements, allows for supervision billing under a fully licensed provider, and streamlines the timeline for in-network contracting.

The intent is to have the reimbursement rate set as close as possible to what was in the original bill (141% of Medicare) through administrative rule. **NASW-IL advocacy will continue once the bill passes to ensure it results in a meaningful rate increase through commercial insurance to improve network adequacy and access to care.

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.

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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.