Illinois requires insurance to cover EpiPens for kids

Illinois became the first state to require insurance companies to pay the costs of EpiPen injection medicines for children 18 and younger. The law was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker and will take effect Jan. 1, 2020, CNN reported.

The new law comes at a time when the cost of the medication, which is used to treat life-threatening allergy reactions, has risen significantly. According to CNN, a pair of EpiPen injectors cost $100 in 2009 and cost $600 by 2016.

See the full story below:

Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

Around the web

SCAI President James B. Hermiller, Jr., MD, detailed the group's key policy concerns in 2025 and beyond in a new video interview. 

RBMA board member Kit Crancer offers an update on Medicare reform and advocacy in Congress and how medical societies may be able to get more traction in state legislatures.
 

Cardiology still ranks No. 4 overall, trailing just orthopedics, radiology and plastic surgery.