On Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) delivered remarks on statewide healthcare.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you for all being here today.
00:28Dr. Pritzker and distinguished guests, it's a pleasure to have you at Rush University
00:31Medical Center.
00:33Thank you for choosing Rush as a place to sign this incredibly important legislation.
00:37I am Dr. Omar Lateef, and on behalf of the entire Rush University System for Health,
00:42we welcome all of you.
00:45While others will speak much more in depth about the Health Care Protection Act and its
00:48importance, I just want to say that Rush was proud to advocate for the passage of this
00:53bill.
00:54Simply put, it makes it possible for all of us to help more patients in underserved communities,
01:01helping to ensure they get the access and care that they need.
01:05Ask anyone who works in health care.
01:07Our system needs work.
01:10But as someone who interacts with people on the front lines every day, I can tell you
01:14that the people in this space believe that health care is a human right and believe that
01:19getting access to the people that need it is critical.
01:23For everyone working on the front line, health care is a calling.
01:27Barriers to access, like roadblocks from insurance companies, dampen that spirit.
01:32This new bill is about holding insurers accountable and empowering patients and their doctors
01:38and nurses to make key decisions based on medical need and not what is profitable.
01:44We thank all of you for your leadership and dedication to the health and wellness of our
01:48city and state.
01:50It is now my pleasure to introduce the best governor in the United States of America,
01:54Governor J.B. Pritzker.
01:58Wow, how nice.
02:03Well, good morning to everybody.
02:07Thank you very much, Dr. Lateef, and to Rush University Medical Center for the very warm
02:13welcome and for your tireless dedication, all of you, for caring for the people of the
02:19city of Chicago and the state of Illinois.
02:22I want to especially say that, you know, for a couple of years, Dr. Lateef and I worked
02:28very, very closely together as we battled all of us, COVID-19, and I must say I was
02:36saying on my drive over here that there was nobody that I dealt with who was more helpful,
02:44who gave better advice, who was more available than Dr. Lateef.
02:49So I just want to once again thank him.
02:51He helped us get past a terrible time.
02:56I am very proud to be here with all of you to stand up for the patients and families
03:01of Illinois by officially signing the Health Care Protection Act into law.
03:07Over the past few months, I have traveled across the state of Illinois talking to doctors
03:13and patients, to advocates in every corner of our state.
03:18And at each and every stop, I have been able to talk to people and meet with the same chorus
03:25of resounding support for this legislation.
03:29That wasn't a surprise to me.
03:31The HPA was conceived, written, and passed with the goal of empowering the two most important
03:38stakeholders in the medical system, our patients and their doctors.
03:44This bill is fundamentally about putting medical decisions back in their hands.
03:51For too long, insurance companies have used predatory tactics to make an extra dime at
03:57the expense of Illinois consumers.
04:00For too long, patients have delayed or been denied medically necessary treatments because
04:06of profit driver utilization management practices.
04:11For too long, shoddy networks, price gouging, and overly complicated bureaucracies have
04:18stood in the way of our families getting the care that they deserve.
04:22Today, with my signature, Illinois is addressing and rectifying that problem.
04:28When I proposed this legislation all the way back in February, I promised that I would
04:33put my shoulder to the wheel to get it done, and I did.
04:37There was resistance, as we expected there would be.
04:41But I didn't get there alone, and there are so many people to thank, several of them here
04:46with us today.
04:47First, our chief sponsors, Representative Anna Mueller and Senator Robert Peters, who
04:53worked tirelessly to craft a package that met the needs of all of our stakeholders.
05:01Senator Laura Fine, who's been at this for so many years, I want to thank you for being
05:05a partner in this.
05:07She got Democrats and Republicans together to give this a strong bipartisan majority.
05:14And Representative Bob Morgan, a consistent champion of quality health care throughout
05:18the state of Illinois.
05:20As always, President Harman and Speaker Welch were stalwarts, along with the rest of their
05:26team of legislators that are, well, sitting behind me, and some of them aren't here.
05:32But collectively, this General Assembly really did amazing things, and I want to thank all
05:37of them.
05:38To the many patients and doctors and consumers whose experiences and advocacy helped to shape
05:45this legislation and get the message across to those who might have been hesitant to vote
05:51for it, thank you.
05:52Thank you for sharing your stories.
05:55People needed to hear those stories.
05:57And of course, thanks to my partner in governance and a tireless champion for working people
06:02everywhere, our Lieutenant Governor, Juliana Stratton.
06:06There you go.
06:08I also want to acknowledge my staff, the governor's staff, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes
06:17to craft and help pass this legislation.
06:20While making special mention here, I want to especially focus on one person on my staff
06:27who from the very beginning crafted the messaging, put her time and effort and energy into every
06:33detail of this bill, and that's Emily Miller, who's, yeah.
06:45She really put in countless hours of effort.
06:48Unparalleled ingenuity was required to get this done, and she really helped to make this
06:53all possible.
06:54Anyone that knows Emily understands how vital she is to our operation in the governor's
06:59office and how deeply she embodies the spirit of public service.
07:04I feel very lucky to have her on my staff.
07:07I'm truly grateful to have advisors and leaders like her working for me and with me every
07:14day.
07:16This incredible coalition of experts and legislators, doctors and patients and patient advocates
07:22put together a nation-leading bill that puts Illinois on the way to a better, fairer and
07:29more affordable healthcare system.
07:32We got there through a thorough and deliberative process that brought every key stakeholder
07:38together and identified the barriers that individuals and providers were facing in search
07:44of quality care.
07:46From that process, we developed a comprehensive package of reforms across the industry that
07:51targets the practices that actively make care less affordable and harder to access.
07:59We had to work one by one through all of these things to eliminate those barriers.
08:04This new law eliminates step therapy, a practice where insurance providers require patients
08:11to try and fail often less effective treatment options before getting the care originally
08:18recommended by their doctor.
08:21Perhaps this seems controversial to the insurance companies, but I don't believe an insurance
08:26executive hundreds of miles away knows more about medicine than the doctor in the examination
08:32room with the patient.
08:35We also eliminated prior authorization for inpatient mental healthcare because a person
08:41in need of immediate help shouldn't have to jump through hoops during a crisis.
08:47Illinois, by the way, is once again a pioneer, the first state in the nation to do this for
08:53adults and children.
08:55I'm going to digress from my speech a little just to tell you that I got a call shortly
09:05after I talked about this bill in my State of the State speech when I introduced this
09:12bill.
09:13A longtime friend who had not revealed to me what he said, which was that his daughter
09:19had attempted to commit suicide, and then she tried again a second time.
09:29On that second attempt, he was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital with her, calling
09:40the hospital and then calling the insurance company needing prior authorization.
09:45They denied him prior authorization.
09:49He had nowhere to go.
09:51There was nothing left for him.
09:52He could not take his daughter home after she had attempted suicide.
09:57He could not take her anywhere else.
09:59This was the only hospital that could take a patient like her.
10:04He was lucky.
10:05He knew the president of the hospital he was headed to, so he called him at 12, 12.30 at
10:11night and was able to make arrangements for himself.
10:17Almost nobody has that ability.
10:20When he called me, he said, he was almost crying on the phone, he said, thank you.
10:24You've changed people's lives.
10:26I think about that a lot, that particular instance, and I'm choking up thinking about
10:31it.
10:33When I think about what we've done here with the HPA, we really have saved lives.
10:45We did even more in this legislation.
10:47We increased transparency and insurance coverage.
10:50We set new standards for appointment time availability and number of in-network doctors.
10:56We banned the sale of junk insurance plans that don't meet the Affordable Care Act.
11:05Those are plans that don't meet the standards even of the Affordable Care Act.
11:10We eliminated ghost networks.
11:13For thousands of Illinoisans, the reforms in this bill will mean the difference between
11:17both suffering with curable health conditions and getting the care that they need in a timely
11:25manner.
11:26For some, this bill will quite literally save their lives.
11:29As you can tell here at Rush Medical Center, Illinois has some of the smartest and kindest
11:35and most advanced healthcare professionals in the entire world.
11:40With my signature today, we're going to make it easier for them to do what they love and
11:44what they do best.
11:46Thank you to all of you who are here to stand up for the people of Illinois.
11:51I look forward to building on this progress to make sure that every resident of this great
11:56state, regardless of their age, race, income, or zip code, gets the quality care that they
12:02deserve.
12:03With that, it is my great pleasure to introduce a leader, a partner, a friend, our Senate
12:09President, Don Harmon.
12:17Good morning all.
12:19Thank you to the Rush family for opening up the facilities here for us today.
12:24The Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus has long been committed to quality, accessible
12:28healthcare.
12:29In addition to our sponsors, we are joined here with several healthcare champions, Senator
12:34Willie Preston, Senator Lakeisha Collins, Senator Rachel Ventura, among others all here.
12:39Please give them a round of applause.
12:42It's also a point of pride that we have a couple of Senate alums on the roster as well
12:49for speakers, including the former Senator, now Director of Insurance, Ann Gillespie,
12:54and former Senator, now Head of the Hospital Association, A.J.
12:58Wilhelmi.
12:59Testament to our long commitment in the Senate Caucus.
13:03Thank you to a world-class team of healthcare professionals here at Rush for the excellent
13:07care that you provide in this community.
13:10Thank you to the sponsors of these new laws, Senator Robert Peters and Senator Laura Fine.
13:15Shout out to your hard work and unwavering belief that healthcare should be accessible
13:19to everyone.
13:20None of this would be possible.
13:21You really did a remarkable job in getting this over the finish line.
13:26Today's bill signing is the culmination of a massive effort on the part of our colleagues,
13:30Governor Pritzker, and advocates.
13:32A massive effort to put into law something that seems like it should be common sense.
13:37Health insurance companies should be focused on making people healthy.
13:41But somewhere along the line, priorities got out of whack.
13:45Instead of helping patients find the best care for their individual needs, the focus
13:49too often shifted to maximizing profits.
13:52These laws to be signed today put control back in the hands of patients and their doctors.
13:56They ban predatory insurance plans that charge more for a lower standard of care.
14:01They eliminate inefficiencies that cause patients to wait far too long for necessary treatments.
14:06They will lower healthcare costs and they will save lives.
14:09So thank you again, Governor, Senator Peters, Senator Fine, for your great work and your
14:13dedication.
14:14With that, it's my privilege to welcome up another partner and a good friend, the Speaker
14:18of the Illinois House, Senator, or the Speaker, Chris Welch, where'd you go?
14:28Good morning, everyone.
14:29I want to thank my friend, the Senate President.
14:32He's been trying to recruit me to the Senate for a long time.
14:35I like my job in the House, though.
14:38I'm thrilled to stand here with Governor Pritzker, Lieutenant Governor Stratton, my colleagues
14:44in the House and Senate, and the countless advocates that helped get these monumental
14:48pieces of legislation on the Governor's desk today.
14:52I want to give a special thanks to my colleagues in the House, Leader Camille Lilly, Representatives
14:58Moeller and Representative Morgan, true healthcare champions that really helped get us here today.
15:04Can we give them a round of applause, please?
15:10I want to give a special shout out to Reps Moeller and Morgan.
15:12I got to tell you, they are tireless advocates for improving healthcare in the state of Illinois.
15:18They worked really hard on these pieces of legislation.
15:22This legislation will put the power back in the hands of patients, where it should be.
15:29Putting power back in the hands of patients by banning step therapy, banning prior authorization
15:35for crisis mental healthcare, improved network adequacy, banning junk insurance plans, and
15:42unchecked rate increases by large insurance companies.
15:47We're putting patients before profits.
15:50We're putting patients' healthcare before large insurance companies.
15:56This is what it should be about.
15:59Today we stand here making Illinois the first, the first, again, the first in common sense
16:06reform by banning prior authorization for inpatient mental healthcare.
16:10It was just simply the right thing to do, and I'm just so proud to be a legislator in
16:15the state of Illinois, putting patients before profits, and helping to get us there, to help
16:23us land the plane with the Healthcare Protection Act was Representative Anna Moeller.
16:29Please welcome her to the microphone.
16:37Good morning.
16:39It's an honor and pleasure to be with you, and I too want to thank the superb healthcare
16:43professionals here at Rush.
16:45We are grateful for your service and all that you do for patients in our state.
16:51Today truly marks a milestone for the health and well-being of people in Illinois, and
16:57I'm honored to be here to witness the signing of the Healthcare Protection Act, and to talk
17:03a bit about this transformative impact that this piece of legislation will have on our
17:09state.
17:10The Healthcare Protection Act makes significant reforms to tear down the barriers that have
17:15long prevented patients from accessing the healthcare that they need.
17:20For too long, these barriers, including the use of step therapy, prior authorization for
17:27crisis mental health care, unreasonably high premiums, and unjustified denial of treatment,
17:34have been a source of frustration, pain, and financial hardship for countless Illinoisans.
17:41With this act, we are taking bold steps to ensure that patients in our state receive
17:47the care that they deserve without undue delay or financial burden.
17:54I want to extend a deep sense of gratitude to Governor Pritzker for his incredible leadership
18:01and the superb professionalism of his policy team.
18:05Emily Middler has been mentioned already.
18:09Without their unwavering commitment to health and well-being of our citizens, in bringing
18:15this fundamental piece of legislation, this bill would not have come to fruition.
18:23Governor Pritzker, your dedication to healthcare reform has set a new standard for what it
18:28means to serve the people of Illinois.
18:36I also want to acknowledge my colleagues who are here and the colleagues in the House who
18:41helped get this legislation over the finish line, including Leader Lilly and Representative
18:48Morgan who sponsored the legislation that bans junk bonds or junk policies.
18:55We would not be here without their support.
18:58I want to also acknowledge my appreciation for Senator Peters.
19:02It was a joy to work with him in partnership on this bill.
19:06This legislation is a testament to what we can achieve when we come together with a shared
19:11purpose and a common goal.
19:14I am also profoundly grateful to the healthcare professionals and patient advocates who helped
19:19pass this legislation.
19:21Their tireless efforts and advocacy, their testimony and committee sent a clear message
19:27that Illinois deserves better.
19:29We heard gut-wrenching stories about why this legislation is so necessary and will save
19:34lives.
19:37This act is not just about policy change.
19:40As has already been stated, this is about prioritizing people over profits.
19:44It's about recognizing that healthcare is a fundamental right, not a privilege.
19:49It's about ensuring that our healthcare system serves the needs of patients and supports
19:54the dedicated professionals who provide their care.
19:58In closing, I'm proud to say that with the signing of the Healthcare Protection Act,
20:03we are taking a decisive step towards a future where healthcare in Illinois is accessible,
20:09affordable, and equitable for all.
20:11It's time to put patients over corporate profits, and this law will finally deliver
20:16on that promise.
20:17Thank you.
20:21And I am honored to introduce and bring to the podium Senator Peters.
20:31Good morning.
20:33This is a huge day in Illinois.
20:35I want to thank the governor, my colleagues in the General Assembly, patients and healthcare
20:40advocates and hospital leaders.
20:42I'm especially grateful to be at Rush Hospital.
20:45I suffered a very painful fracture to my tibia plateau while playing soccer during the summer
20:50of 2018, and the wonderful doctors and staff at Midwest Orthopedics took amazing care of
20:56me.
20:57And another Rush story that I like to share is when I learned I was adopted, my mom decided
21:02to read me my medical report, which talked about me being born hard of hearing, and at
21:08the top of it was Rush Hospital.
21:10So I'm grateful for Rush Hospital for all that you do.
21:13Thank you.
21:14This is my message to Illinoisans.
21:17Illinois is moving in a positive direction when it comes to your care.
21:20Whether it's reproductive care, painful physical care, traumatic mental health care, Illinois,
21:25with this governor and this General Assembly and these leaders, is not turning back the
21:30clock nor turning back patients when it comes to your care.
21:34We're going to ease the stress for you and your loved ones during a mental health crisis.
21:39We're going to reduce the confusion when it comes to finding a provider.
21:43And instead of the steep steps of care that existed before, we're building an elevator
21:47to the treatment you need and deserve.
21:50We're ending predatory practices during your most vulnerable moments.
21:54In Illinois, we are putting care over cost, and I want to go back to Rush here.
21:59I have another memory.
22:00There was a moment after my dad died and before Obamacare fully took effect that I was dealing
22:05with a medical emergency that made it hard for me to get good care, particularly due
22:09to a preexisting condition.
22:11I was desperate, and I came to this hospital's ER to seek help.
22:15I was lucky to have found a doctor who gave me antibiotics and sat with me as I struggled
22:20to explain the chronic pain I was in.
22:23He sympathized with me and gave me some advice.
22:27Our systems work best when it is putting people first and it is driven by those values.
22:33I know that there are countless others who have or are facing similar challenges in life,
22:39and I want them to know that today, as these bills get signed, we are all here doing this
22:43work with you, the person in serious need, front and center.
22:48Thank you, everybody, and I would like to introduce a fighter for patients her whole
22:52career, Senator Laura Fine.
22:57Good morning, everybody.
23:04Thank you, Senator Peters, Senator Harmon, everybody who has worked so diligently on
23:10this legislation.
23:12Another shout out for Emily Miller, who has devoted her career to this as well.
23:18Imagine going to the doctor and learning of your diagnosis of cancer or MS.
23:22Now imagine your insurance, which you thought was there to protect you in a crisis, did
23:27not cover a new diagnosis, a preexisting condition, or even your prescription medication.
23:34This nightmare has been a reality for countless people in the state of Illinois.
23:39These residents purchased short-term limited duration plans for their health insurance
23:44coverage.
23:45Sadly, these consumers found that when they were at their most vulnerable and needed to
23:49use their insurance, their plan had a high deductible and minimal coverage.
23:54This has left many under huge medical debt.
23:59Short-term limited duration plans, also known as junk plans, are exempted from the protections
24:04under the Affordable Care Act.
24:07These plans are not required to cover ACA essential health benefits, like prescription
24:13drugs, maternity care, hospitalization, ambulatory services, mental health and substance use
24:19disorder treatments, or even emergency services.
24:23These plans cost the consumer and profit the insurance industry.
24:28Comprehensive health insurance coverage is required to have a loss ratio that is at least
24:3280%, meaning the insurance pays 80 cents on medical claims for every dollar it charges
24:39in premiums.
24:40But junk plans have no mandated loss ratio, and in Illinois, some can be as low as 32%.
24:48That means junk plans, insurance companies are keeping 50% more profit than they do for
24:54comprehensive health insurance.
24:56That burden is on the shoulders of the consumer.
24:59With this legislation banning the sale of junk plans, individuals and families in Illinois
25:05will have a better option when they need coverage due to issues like job loss, turning 26, or
25:11moving off of Medicaid.
25:13Illinois will soon have a state-based exchange where consumers can go to purchase a temporary
25:19ACA-compliant plan and possibly receive government subsidies to help them pay for this comprehensive
25:25coverage.
25:26This will ensure consumers have the insurance coverage they need for better outcomes.
25:32I would like to extremely thank Governor Pritzker, our incredible Lieutenant Governor, the amazing
25:41advocates, because these advocates are on the front lines every day fighting for what
25:47people need, the Department of Insurance for their advocacy on behalf of all consumers
25:53in the state of Illinois.
25:56And with that, I'd like to introduce my partner in this fight, Representative Bob Morgan.
26:09Good morning.
26:11And thank you, Senator Fein.
26:13Approximately six months ago, Governor Pritzker introduced the Health Care Protection Act.
26:18And there was a lot of grumbling.
26:20There's a lot of skepticism.
26:21I heard a lot of people that doubted whether or not the governor and the legislature was
26:26going to follow through on such transformative health care insurance reform.
26:31But with the governor's ironclad commitment and with incredible, terrific leaders like
26:35Representative Moeller, Senators Fein and Peters, we got this done.
26:40Not without, of course, the amazing help of policy leaders like the Shriver Center
26:44and also Inseparable.
26:46In addition to driving down health insurance costs through rate review, something Senator
26:50Fein and I have been working on for years, ending step therapy and prior authorization
26:55and rooting out ghost networks, today we banned junk insurance in the state of Illinois.
27:01Too many residents in Illinois have been tricked into buying these limited duration plans for
27:06bridge insurance coverage, only to find out they're flying a plane without a parachute.
27:12The junk insurance, yes, it may be cheaper than being fully insured, but many of these
27:18junk plans do not cover behavioral health.
27:21They do not cover preexisting conditions.
27:23They may not even cover hospitalization.
27:25What kind of health plan doesn't cover hospitalization?
27:29A plan that is not a plan at all.
27:33Preying on the sick, vulnerable and budget constrained is deceptive.
27:37It's a malicious practice.
27:39And come January 1st, this practice is going to end in the state of Illinois.
27:47I'm incredibly honored to have been a part of some of the major health care reforms that
27:50we have passed in past years, and you can bet that we will build on this momentum to
27:55lead the nation in health care in the years ahead.
27:58Today marks a major step towards health care equity, and we will use this legislation as
28:04a benchmark for future efforts towards a healthier Illinois.
28:09Believe me, this legislation has grabbed the attention of elected leaders throughout the
28:13nation looking for ways to increase health care costs and accessibility.
28:19Today Illinois, to increase access and affordability, rather, decreased costs.
28:24Today Illinois is truly walking the walk in enacting meaningful health insurance reform.
28:29Thank you so much, and it is a pleasure and an honor to introduce my friend and partner
28:33as the director of the Illinois Department of Insurance, Ann Gillespie.
28:42You know the drill.
28:43Good morning.
28:45Thank you, Governor Pritzker, for your leadership on health insurance reform in Illinois.
28:50As acting director of the Illinois Department of Insurance, I'm proud to stand here with
28:53you as you sign the Health Care Protection Act, and I appreciate you entrusting the Department
28:58of Insurance with this important work.
29:01Having spent my career in the health care field, I know firsthand the challenges that
29:05consumers face navigating health insurance coverage that all too often puts them in the
29:10middle between the advice their providers give and insurers and the critical role that
29:14state regulators serve in the insurance industry.
29:18So I welcome the department's increased authority under HPA to hold insurers accountable to cover
29:23the health care services consumers pay for every month without making them jump through
29:28hoops.
29:29I'm proud that Illinois is now the first state to ban prior authorization for inpatient
29:34adult and children's mental health care coverage, further increasing protections for mental
29:38health, adding to those already enforced under the mental health parity laws.
29:44I'm proud that Illinois will now require even greater network transparency and protections
29:49for consumers that they need to ensure that their trusted provider is an active member
29:54of the insurance network before they purchase coverage.
29:58That transparency protection will now extend beyond the initial purchase by requiring insurers
30:03to provide the department every 90 days with an up-to-date audit of each network plan so
30:09that consumers have information about any recent changes.
30:13As we transition to the state-based ACA marketplace, HPA's ban on short-term limited duration
30:18plans will help the department ensure that Illinoisans do not mistakenly purchase inadequate
30:24health coverage instead of affordable, comprehensive coverage offered on the ACA marketplace.
30:31Protecting Illinois insurance consumers is our top priority at the department, and we
30:38stand ready to enforce the Health Care Protection Act.
30:41I look forward to joining forces with other Illinois agencies and leaders to make sure
30:45that all Illinoisans can access health care and coverage that they need.
30:50And now I'd like to introduce Stephanie Becker, Director at the Shriver Center on Poverty
30:54Law.
31:00Good morning.
31:01At the Shriver Center and as part of Protect Our Care Illinois, we work with and for people
31:06who struggle to get the health care they need due to insurance industry roadblocks.
31:12Over the past six months, patient advocates like these have shared their stories to show
31:16the necessity of the legislation being signed today.
31:19One is Cody, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017.
31:24His short-term junk plan refused to cover the life-saving treatments he needed, so he
31:29went into debt to pay his bills.
31:32Another is Marilyn, who is in the audience today.
31:35When her son was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, she was forced to fight insurance
31:40company red tape to get the coverage for medications he needed that had been unfairly
31:44denied.
31:45We believe that a person with MS or cancer should be supported to fight the disease,
31:51not forced to fight the insurance companies.
31:54That's why we supported the Health Care Protection Act.
31:56And because of patients like Marilyn and Cody, the legislators who voted yes, and the governor
32:02signing the bill today, we are changing the landscape for patients and families like them
32:07for now and in the future.
32:09Health care should not be a constant fight for what you need.
32:12Patients should be prioritized over profits.
32:15Today we celebrate the signing of these two bills, which together will ban junk insurance
32:19plans and protect Illinois consumers from other unfair and burdensome industry practices.
32:26On behalf of the communities we serve, we applaud Governor Pritzker, the Departments
32:30of Insurance and Health Care and Family Services, and our legislative champions on the enactment
32:35of this historic piece of legislation.
32:38Thank you so much.
32:39And now I'd like to bring Bill Spiff up.
32:46Good morning.
32:50It's so wonderful to be with you today, and I know it feels like everything's been said,
32:54but not everybody said it, but I'm with Inseparable, a national mental health advocacy organization
33:01founded on the idea that the health of our minds can't be separated from the health of
33:05our bodies.
33:06And we're so grateful for these legislative champions in both chambers who've been leading
33:11for years on this and for Governor Pritzker's extraordinary leadership today.
33:16I also want to thank Heather Weirvoth and Dave Horwich, who've led Inseparable's work
33:21in Illinois for years.
33:24Six years ago last month, I lost my brother to suicide after a really long battle with
33:29bipolar and depression.
33:32This loss devastated our family, and I know, unfortunately, our family is not alone.
33:39But I want to celebrate this legislation because there are so many families in Illinois and
33:44across the country who've experienced the same problems that my family did, mainly that
33:50coverage doesn't always equal care, until today.
33:55This law is for you, if you or your loved ones have ever struggled to get the right
34:00medication to treat mental illness and have been told by your insurance company that you
34:05have to fail first with the wrong drugs before getting the treatment that you need.
34:11If you've ever had a family member, as the governor mentioned in that incredible story,
34:17that's in need of inpatient mental health care, only to have to fight insurance company
34:21denials through prior authorization, this law is for you.
34:26And if you've ever called through an insurance provider directory trying to find a mental
34:31health provider, only to be forced to wade through inaccurate information, wrong numbers,
34:38bad addresses at the moment when you really need help, this law is for you.
34:43These legislative champions and Governor Pritzker, you are leading the country right now.
34:49And at Inseparable, we're going to work to make this the law of the land for everyone
34:53in our country.
34:54But we wanted to come here and say thank you, because Illinois is doing it first.
34:58We just need every governor in the country to show the kind of vision and dedication
35:02and leadership that Governor Pritzker is showing.
35:09I'd like to now introduce A.J. Wilhelmi, President and CEO of the Illinois Hospital and Health
35:14Association.
35:17Thank you.
35:18Good morning, everyone.
35:20Governor Pritzker, Lieutenant Governor Stratton, President Harmon, Speaker Welch, distinguished
35:25members of the General Assembly, and members of the Pritzker administration, it is such
35:29a pleasure to join you on this special occasion.
35:31And I also want to give a special thanks to Dr. Lateef for hosting us today and for remarkable
35:37leadership here at Rush.
35:39On behalf of our 211 hospital members at IHA, I applaud Governor Pritzker, Representative
35:45Moeller, and Senator Peters for advancing the Health Care Protection Act on behalf of
35:49Illinois patients and their families.
35:51In February, Governor Pritzker made it clear that the HPA would be one of his top legislative
35:55priorities for the spring session, and he did a remarkable job making the case for this
36:00legislation, which is all about protecting patients from predatory health insurance practices.
36:06For years, we've heard from our member hospitals that prior authorization delays and denials
36:11are a top challenge in delivering timely and appropriate health care, especially when it
36:15comes to critically important mental health services.
36:18So IHA welcomed the opportunity to work with the Pritzker administration on this proposal,
36:22which will make Illinois the first state in the nation to prohibit prior authorizations
36:27for inpatient mental health admissions.
36:29The hospital community also supported provisions in the HPA targeting practices that allow
36:34an insurance company to override a physician's judgment.
36:38These are profit-motivated strategies that benefit the insurance company's bottom line
36:42at the expense of the patient.
36:44As the governor said many times this spring, and again today, it's time to put medical
36:47decisions back in the hands of patients and their doctors, and the HPA will help to achieve
36:53that important objective.
36:54So on behalf of our member hospitals, their health care workers, and the patients they
36:58are privileged to serve, I want to thank the governor and the bill sponsors for their outstanding
37:02work on the Health Care Protection Act.
37:05This new law will empower Illinois' health care community to deliver the best possible
37:09care for their patients.
37:11And now it's my pleasure to introduce Dr. Vyas from the Illinois State Medical Society.
37:16Okay, good morning, I will start with our best governor Pritzker, all the leaders here,
37:32and ladies and gentlemen.
37:34It is very difficult to speak after all the good speakers have spoken already, and I've
37:39been traveling abroad lately, and I also have a cold, so you will excuse me.
37:46The Illinois State Medical Society appreciates the governor's strong support of putting the
37:52medical decisions back in the hands of patients and the doctors, and that is the reason why
37:57he's our best governor of the United States.
38:05The health insurance reforms passed by the Illinois lawmakers, many of them are right
38:11here, will ensure that administrative delays caused by the insurance companies, as well
38:16as their inadequate provider network, so-called ghost network, should be a thing of the past.
38:23So I want to thank all the people, Illinois lawmakers, who passed this law.
38:30Every person in Illinois, if you want to make sure that every person in Illinois deserves
38:35the access to the quality of health care, affordable health care, in their communities
38:41without any delay, and without interruption of the treatment.
38:45So this is very important, and this particular governor, I want to thank this governor, he's
38:50been taking care of the patients, Illinois Medical State Society is also doing the same
38:56thing, to make the doctors and the patients more important, and that is the only way to
39:02take care of the patients.
39:04And thank you, Governor Pritzker, for signing this new bill, which we're going to sign,
39:09and we really appreciate the Illinois State Medical Society and their almost 8,000 members,
39:15to appreciate the governor and their team for doing such a great job.
39:19Thank you, Governor Pritzker.
39:22Sorry, Governor reminded me, I knew that.
39:33I need to introduce the most famous, and most famous, and most beautiful Lieutenant Governor
39:45Stratton.
39:53Good morning, everyone.
39:54I am Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, she, her pronouns, and thank you, Dr. Villes,
39:58for your words and for the good work that you do caring for our communities.
40:03And thank you to Dr. Lateef and everyone at Rush for hosting us and welcoming us into
40:08this space.
40:09In the interest of time, I will echo the appreciation that's been shared.
40:14Thank you especially to President Harmon, Speaker Welch, and our incredible colleagues
40:20in the General Assembly for your partnership, and of course, our bill's chief sponsors,
40:25Representative Anna Moeller and Senator Robert Peters, for your inspiring leadership.
40:31I do also want to thank all of the patient advocates who told your very personal and
40:38very powerful stories.
40:40It's so clear that your voices matter.
40:45And for as long as I've known him, Governor Pritzker has been focused on delivering tangible
40:51results to every resident of Illinois.
40:55Among his many priorities, access to quality, affordable health care has been at the very
41:02top.
41:04Throughout our administration, I've emphasized what the governor's signature does for people.
41:11When his pen touches paper today, obstacles standing between Illinoisans in need of care
41:17and their doctors' prescribed treatment plans will soon disappear.
41:23The Health Care Protection Act unequivocally takes power out of the hands of insurance
41:28companies and places it squarely where it belongs, in the palms of the people.
41:36Perhaps most of all, I'm thinking about how this will change and save the lives of those
41:42experiencing a mental health crisis.
41:46Let me be clear.
41:49Insurance-invented roadblocks like prior authorization requirements have put people directly into
41:56harm's way.
41:58A crisis is never convenient.
42:01To demand that someone at their lowest moment has the foresight to seek insurance authorization
42:07in advance is both unsafe and impractical.
42:13When you need help, you need help.
42:16And rather than perpetuate a cycle of harm which leads to trauma, which in turn leads
42:22to generational mistrust in support systems, we are changing the status quo.
42:29The frustration Illinoisans have come to expect from private health care, well, it ends now.
42:39So, for the moms trying to soothe a sick baby, for the caregivers up every hour with their
42:49loved ones, for the spouse holding their partner's hand through a tough treatment,
42:55the Health Care Protection Act is tangible change.
42:58That is what leadership is about, making life better for everyone.
43:03And how lucky are we that leadership is modeled with such compassion here in Illinois.
43:10Thank you, Governor Pritzker, and thank you all for being here.
43:14And with that, let's get to signing this bill into law.
43:44Sorry, I'm so quiet.
44:06Mara.
44:14Mara.
44:44Mara.
44:46Mara.
44:48Okay, we're going to take a few questions from members of the media.
45:18I'll take a few more pictures afterward with the sponsors, so.
45:25Olivia.
45:26I was wondering if there are any other insurance reforms that you want to tell me about?
45:39You want everybody to tell you what their plans are for future legislative changes?
45:44I'm sure that if you have the opportunity to talk to the members of the General Assembly
45:51behind me, you will hear about some of the things that need to happen to improve our
45:57health care system.
45:58So you're going to see changes, no doubt about it.
46:01But let me just say that the number one priority, I think, for everybody that's sitting behind
46:05me and probably for all of you is making sure that we continue to make health care more
46:10affordable and accessible.
46:12I know those sound like buzzwords, and they're in the political realm, accessibility, affordability.
46:18But that is what we think about every day when we think about the challenges in the
46:23health care system.
46:25And this legislation, as you've seen in a number of ways, improves both of those aspects
46:31of our health care.
46:32So without getting too specific, I do believe, though, that the sponsors of the bills, all
46:37four of them, because they really do live and breathe the health care system and want
46:43very much to improve it, will be coming forward with other ideas.
46:56I think there's no doubt that there are areas that are high priority that will get brought
47:01up in the General Assembly, and I would be happy to be a leader on.
47:06I think there are a few that are particularly meaningful to me.
47:11I want to point out that we passed another bill that we're not here to sign today, but
47:16the birth equity bill.
47:18And that, too, is about accessibility and affordability of quality health care and saving
47:24lives because our maternal mortality rate, particularly for black women, is so high in
47:30the state of Illinois.
47:31And that bill is intended to address that issue, and we'll no doubt have other things
47:36that we'll want to continue to address along those lines.
47:39Yes, Mary Ann.
47:42What?
47:43I can't believe you have political questions.
47:44I feel like this is still getting going.
47:45Since your remarks yesterday, there have been more concerns about President Biden, including
47:46one senator, this morning, Nancy Pelosi, expressing concerns.
47:47Where do you stand at this moment?
47:48Are you still 100% behind President Biden?
47:49As I said yesterday, I'm all in for President Biden.
48:09He's going to be the nominee of our party.
48:11I said before that he had to make that choice, and he has made that choice.
48:17He's made it clear that he intends to be the nominee of the Democratic Party.
48:21He's done, really, a phenomenal job for this country.
48:24He's been a patriot who's served for more than 40 years in public office, in fact, more
48:31than 50 years now that I think about it, and I think in every way has stood up for the
48:36American people and working families.
48:39So I will be supporting Joe Biden.
48:43He's made his decision, and most importantly, I think to many people, whether they had concerns
48:51or not, all of the people, including Nancy Pelosi that you've heard from, want to defeat
48:56Donald Trump and know that he is a danger to our democracy and he's a danger to working
49:00families and to people's ability just to raise their families in a country that they believe
49:07in.
49:09And I think the choice is clear between these two candidates.
49:12Well, they're not the only ones.
49:26So people may not know that Think Big America, which is an organization that I founded that
49:32focuses on reproductive rights, has billboards around the Milwaukee area where the Republican
49:41National Convention will take place.
49:43And their billboards reminding people that the Republicans are opposed to women's reproductive
49:50rights and that Donald Trump is opposed to women's reproductive rights.
49:57And so why there?
50:00Because there are a lot of Democrats who live in Wisconsin who will see those same billboards
50:04and be reminded that just because of the Republican convention going on in their biggest city
50:09in Wisconsin does not mean that there aren't a majority of people in the state of Wisconsin
50:15that aren't pro-choice and will oppose Donald Trump because he wants to take that right
50:19away.
50:20Look, I think we all know that every four years we have a presidential election and
50:41we have lots of other elections.
50:43And when you go into the voting booth, you're making a decision between typically two, maybe
50:48sometimes three people on the ballot.
50:53And I think that there's just no doubt in my mind that Joe Biden is a far better choice
51:00than his opponent.
51:03And so I have no regrets about the fact that I will advocate for him and the fact that
51:08I will vote for him in November and I think he will win.
51:12Olivia.
51:13Well, gosh, that is very hypothetical.
51:27I don't know.
51:28I can only say that I'm not going to deal in the hypotheticals.
51:31I said that yesterday.
51:33I really think that, look, I think President Biden has said himself he didn't have a good
51:38night at the debate.
51:41We all, I think, make mistakes along the way on the campaign trail, you know, but this
51:46is really about two people who have demonstrated their characters, each of them.
51:54I think we all know, because we had four years of Donald Trump, what he would do to this
51:59country if he became president again, and that Joe Biden is somebody who cares deeply
52:05and Kamala Harris, too.
52:06The two of them care deeply about the future of the American people and will work hard
52:11for them.
52:12And by the way, just, you know, just look at the records of the two, you know, one of
52:17them with 50 years of being a public servant.
52:20The other one's record is they're a convicted felon, an adjudicated rapist and frankly,
52:26a congenital liar.
52:28Thank you.