HB3001 amends Section 356u of the Illinois Insurance Code, which requires certain group health insurance policies to cover specified cancer screenings without cost-sharing. The bill expands the ovarian-cancer-related coverage language by adding a high CA-125 blood test result to the definition of “at risk for ovarian cancer.” It also revises the definition of “surveillance tests for ovarian cancer” to mean all medically viable methods for detecting and diagnosing ovarian cancer, expressly including ultrasounds, MRIs, x-rays, CT scans, and CA-125 blood test screenings.
The practical effect is to broaden the set of insured individuals who qualify for covered ovarian cancer surveillance and to give providers and insurers more flexibility in what tests may be used, while preserving the no-deductible, no-copayment, and no-coinsurance requirement for covered screenings under applicable group policies. The bill applies to group accident and health insurance policies amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after January 1, 2024, and is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027. It does not apply to limited-benefit policies and preserves the existing high-deductible health plan/HSA exception for prostate cancer screening coverage.
Because there were no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, the overall sentiment cannot be measured from debate or roll-call history. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a targeted health-insurance mandate expansion focused on earlier detection and broader access to ovarian cancer surveillance. The sponsor and bill caption suggest a cancer-screening policy objective rather than a broader insurance overhaul.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of debate, however, may include the cost impact on insurers and employers, the medical appropriateness of defining risk based on CA-125 levels, and whether the broadened “all medically viable methods” language could create coverage disputes over which tests must be included. Absent discussion records, these remain possible issues rather than confirmed objections.
Impact
HB3001 would amend 215 ILCS 5/356u in the Illinois Insurance Code to expand mandated insurance coverage for ovarian cancer surveillance under qualifying group health policies. It would add elevated CA-125 blood test results to the statutory definition of “at risk for ovarian cancer” and replace the prior narrower list of surveillance tests with a broader standard covering all medically viable detection and diagnosis methods, including imaging and CA-125 blood tests. The bill would affect insurers, employers offering group coverage, and insured individuals who may qualify for no-cost-sharing screening benefits.
Sentiment
No committee testimony or voting record was provided, so there is no documented legislative sentiment to summarize from debate or floor action. From the bill text, the measure appears generally supportive of expanded cancer-screening access and preventive care, with a clear consumer-health orientation. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided materials means the level of support or concern cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s stated purpose.
Contention
No explicit contention is documented in the supplied transcripts or votes. The most likely areas of disagreement, if any, would be the insurance-cost implications of expanding mandated coverage, the breadth of the new “medically viable methods” standard, and the clinical basis for using elevated CA-125 as a risk marker for ovarian cancer. These issues would primarily involve insurers, employers, and possibly health-policy stakeholders, but no formal objections are shown in the provided record.