Key Insights:
- The Illinois state Senate unanimously passed a bill requiring insurance companies to cover all medically necessary colonoscopies.
- Currently, insurers are only required to cover colonoscopies if they are part of a follow-up exam recommended by a primary care physician.
- The bill mandates coverage for colonoscopies if a patient displays signs or symptoms of colon cancer or has an existing colon condition, regardless of age.
- State Sen. Willie Preston, the bill’s Senate sponsor, emphasized that early detection through covered colonoscopies can save lives and that access to insurance should not be a barrier.
- The state House of Representatives had previously passed the bill with near-unanimous support. The Senate added an amendment to change the effective date from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026, necessitating the bill’s return to the House for approval.