103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3719

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Adriane Johnson

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
215 ILCS 5/356z.71 new

    Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after July 1, 2024 shall provide coverage for the full cost of an annual PET scan for insureds age 35 or older who elect to get a PET scan, regardless of whether the PET scan was ordered by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches and regardless of whether the insured displays symptoms. Sets forth findings and definitions. Effective immediately.


LRB103 39181 RPS 69327 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3719LRB103 39181 RPS 69327 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Findings; purpose.
5    (a) The General Assembly finds the following:
6        (1) Positron emission tomography (PET) scans have been
7    proven as the most effective form of medical imaging for
8    detecting both tumors and cancer. Studies show that PET
9    scans have an almost 92.5% chance to successfully diagnose
10    malignancies.
11        (2) The risk of cancer and cancer diagnoses starts to
12    exponentially increase beginning at the age of 45 in both
13    men and women.
14        (3) PET scans are not covered as screening tests
15    unless the individual has Medicare or a physician orders a
16    PET scan. Because a person must be at least age 65 to be
17    eligible for Medicare and because many cancers are hard to
18    detect based on symptoms, thousands of cases of cancer are
19    undetected.
20        (4) By the time an individual is eligible to receive a
21    PET scan, the cancer is often too far progressed and
22    difficult to treat.
23    (b) The purposes of this Act are to:
24        (1) mandate insurance companies to cover the full cost

 

 

SB3719- 2 -LRB103 39181 RPS 69327 b

1    of an annual PET scan to better public health; and
2        (2) protect the health and welfare of older
3    constituents who are at a higher risk of cancer.
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Insurance Code is amended by
5adding Section 356z.71 as follows:
 
6    (215 ILCS 5/356z.71 new)
7    Sec. 356z.71. Coverage of positron emission tomography.
8    (a) In this Section:
9    "Positron emission" means a subtype of radioactive decay,
10also referred to as beta decay, that can be used to detect or
11reveal metabolic or biochemical functions of tissues.
12    "Positron emission tomography" or "PET scan" means an
13imaging technique that uses radiotracers to analyze and
14measure differences in metabolic processes and other
15physiological processes.
16    "Radiotracer" means a chemical compound where one or more
17atoms have been replaced by a radioisotope, helping in
18monitoring chemical reactions in the body.
19    (b) A group or individual policy of accident and health
20insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered,
21issued, or renewed on or after July 1, 2024 shall provide
22coverage for the full cost of an annual PET scan for insureds
23age 35 or older who elect to get a PET scan, regardless of
24whether the PET scan was ordered by a physician licensed to

 

 

SB3719- 3 -LRB103 39181 RPS 69327 b

1practice medicine in all its branches and regardless of
2whether the insured displays symptoms.
 
3    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
4becoming law.