Pritzker signs bill mandating pregnancy-related insurance coverage

(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed an amended version of House Bill 5142, which mandates that health insurance policies in the state pay for pregnancy and postpartum coverage.

The governor said the law ensures competitive Medicaid reimbursement rates for doulas, lactation consultants, home visitors and other community-based providers.

“Reproductive freedom and maternal health go hand-in-hand, and every time we make an advancement in the cause, I thank my mother,” Pritzker said.

State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Murrayville, said that a nurse midwife is different than a midwife, and his biggest concern about the new law is bad outcomes.

“My concern is, when you allow others to provide these types of care, do they really have the training if something were to go wrong?” Davidsmeyer asked.

Insurance policies in Illinois are also required to cover abortions and pregnancy-ending medications.

When signing the Birth Equity Initiative, Pritzker said that Black women are three times more likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related causes.

“It isn’t right that some women are forced to weigh their own mortality or their future health against bringing life into this world,” Pritzker said.

From 2018-2020, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 263 maternal deaths. About half were related to pregnancy. The most common cause of pregnancy-related death was substance use disorder.

The number of pregnancy-related maternal deaths was .01% of the number of total childbirths in Illinois over the three-year period.

Davidsmeyer opposed the bill over concerns about outcomes. He said the new law will also lead to higher costs.

“Any time you require insurers to provide an additional service that they’re currently not providing, it will cost more money,” Davidsmeyer said.

Davidsmeyer said bad outcomes also lead to higher costs in the end.