A healthcare access bill for diabetic patients, co-sponsored by State Representative Brandun Schweizer, passed through the House and Senate unanimously this Spring and now heads to the Governor, awaiting his signature.

Senate Bill 3414 amends the Illinois Insurance Code and extends access to diabetes glucose monitors and related supplies to all patients, regardless of diabetes type and allows for any physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner to prescribe the monitor, where before monitors were only prescribed if deemed medically necessary.

The House Personnel and Pensions committee has unanimously approved State Representative Brandun Schweizer's first bill, which seeks to provide members of the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) with more peace of mind when it comes to their healthcare benefits. His legislation will protect TRS enrollees from lapses in healthcare services when the state makes changes to their insurance benefits, like it did in 2022.

In 2022, Medicare-eligible state retirees were summarily informed that Aetna insurance would be the only Medicare option available to them. Moreover the change was effective immediately. This forced many people to switch healthcare providers at a moment's notice when they learned their provider did not accept Aetna. In the rural parts of the state where there is a shortage of healthcare providers, this led to gaps in services for many enrollees while they looked for new providers that would take the insurance. It was of particular of concern to those who learned that Carle Hospital of Urbana did not accept Aetna at the time. Carle has since negotiated a contract with the insurance provider.