INS CD-RETAINER & NIGHT GUARD
HB3502 would require most Illinois health insurance coverage to include benefits for one pair of custom-made retainers and one night guard every two years for each family covered by the policy. The mandate would apply to group and individual accident and health insurance policies and managed care plans issued, delivered, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. The bill defines both terms, with a retainer described as a custom-made oral device used to keep teeth in position or assist realignment, and a night guard described as a removable dental device used to prevent grinding and clenching during sleep.
The bill also extends this coverage mandate across multiple public and quasi-public coverage systems. It amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code so that state employee plans, county and municipal self-insured plans, school employee coverage, HMOs, limited health service organizations, voluntary health service plans, and Medicaid all must provide the same benefit. In effect, the bill creates a statewide dental/orthodontic-related coverage requirement that reaches both private insurance and major public health programs.
HB3502 would add a new mandated health benefit to Illinois insurance law by creating Section 356z.80 of the Illinois Insurance Code and incorporating that requirement into several other statutes governing public employee plans, HMOs, limited health service organizations, voluntary health service plans, and Medicaid. It would require insurers and plans to cover custom retainers and night guards on a recurring biennial basis, which could increase benefit costs and administrative obligations for carriers, employers, and public programs. The bill also expands the scope of existing Illinois benefit-mandate enforcement by tying the new coverage to the Department of Insurance and, for some public plans, the Department of Central Management Services.
There is no recorded committee testimony or vote history in the provided materials, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from hearings or roll calls. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears consumer- and patient-oriented, aimed at improving access to dental appliances that may be considered medically or functionally important. The overall framing is straightforward and affirmative, with no amendments or procedural controversy shown in the available record.
The main likely point of contention is cost: insurers, public employers, and Medicaid administrators may object to a new mandated benefit because it can raise premiums or program expenditures. Another possible issue is scope, since the bill requires coverage for each family every two years and applies broadly across private and public coverage arrangements, which could be viewed as expansive for a dental-related benefit. No specific opponents, proponents, or disputed amendments are identified in the available record.