On December 13, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law HB 2652, the state’s prosthetic and custom orthotic parity bill for people covered by private health insurance plans. The law ensures that coverage for orthotic and prosthetic devices is the same as nearly all medical or surgical benefits.
“Those covered by orthotic and prosthetic insurance policies will get stronger and better coverage that is in line with other medical and surgical insurance benefits,” Quinn said. “This new law should provide a greater degree of financial protection and security to those who depend upon these important devices and to their families.”
According to the governor’s office, the new law will also “give more orthotic and prosthetic users access to new, technologically advanced and well-fitting devices.” There are more than 69,000 people in Illinois living with limb loss and a comparable number of people living with disabling diseases such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy.
The new law pertains to health-insurance plans that contain coverage for orthotics or prosthetics (excluding foot orthotics). It amends the Illinois insurance code by adding a section requiring those insurance plans to provide coverage that’s on par with “substantially all medical and surgical benefits” covered in that plan.
The law pertains to health-insurance plans covering orthotics or prosthetics that are issued, renewed, or delivered six months after June 1, 2010.
Helping to inspire passage of this new law is the family of 14-year-old Allie Johnson, who was born without a right arm. Her insurance company would only cover one prosthesis for her lifetime. Her mother, Laurie-who for nearly 15 years has worked with Families and Amputees in Motion and is now its president-has spent that last two-and-a-half years working with legislators and other advocates to pass the insurance parity bill.
“This new law is going to help thousands of Illinois citizens. It will improve their lives financially but, just as important, enable many of them to go back to work and contribute to society in general,” Johnson said.
According to an Illinois state press release, other groups and constituents that rallied in support of the Orthotic and Prosthetic Insurance Coverage Parity law include the Illinois Society of Orthotists and Prosthetists (ISOP); UnitedHealthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group, Minnetonka, Minnesota; and Douglas Knight, a member of Spina Bifida Association and the National Federation of Independent Business.
