January 2023

CMO Perspective Spotlights Illinois House Bill 2595

The CMO Perspective on our Provider website features blog-style posts from our vice president and chief medical officer, Derek Robinson, M.D.

On Dec. 27, 2022, our CMO Perspective topic was the Generally Accepted Standards of Behavioral Health Care Act of 2021 – Illinois House Bill 2595 (Public Act 102-0579). This new law requires that insurers cover all medically necessary behavioral health care services as essential health care services, beginning Jan. 1, 2023, for all eligible members.

See Dr. Robinson’s latest CMO Perspective entry, New Law Supports Behavioral Health Access and Equity, Effective Jan. 1, 2023, for an overview of key points, such as:

What’s changing with IL HB 2595? What’s not changing?
How does IL HB 2595 affect providers?
What’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois doing to increase awareness?

As Dr. Robinson notes, “Physical health does not truly exist without mental health, and mental health services should not be a challenge to access and should meet the needs of our communities. Now is the time to close this gap and ensure that quality care is available for the whole person, and for all people.”

Thank you for supporting our members on their health and wellness journeys.

Where’s the CMO Perspective?
You’ll find a link to the CMO Perspective on our Provider homepage, under Resources. Or you can access it by going to the Clinical Resources – just hover your mouse over the tab name for a list of pages within the section). Each time there’s a new entry from Dr. Robinson, we’ll alert you via the News and Updates. We hope you find this online forum interesting and useful.

The above material is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician or other health care provider. Physicians and other health care providers are encouraged to use their own medical judgment based upon all available information and the condition of the patient in determining the appropriate course of treatment. References to third party sources or organizations are not a representation, warranty or endorsement of such organizations. Any questions regarding those organizations should be addressed to them directly. The fact that a service or treatment is described in this material is not a guarantee that the service or treatment is a covered benefit and members should refer to their certificate of coverage for more details, including benefits, limitations and exclusions. Regardless of benefits, the final decision about any service or treatment is between the member and their health care provider. Further, the information presented is not intended to replace or supersede any requirements set forth in your contract with BCBSIL. Any samples or suggestions in this publication are for illustrative and/or educational purposes only and should not be relied on in determining how a specific provider will be reimbursed.