Addressing Drug Shortages
Illinois Senate Bill 2672
Effective January 2026
Drug shortages have become a long-term problem throughout the United States, including Illinois. Of the 277 shortages reported nationwide in the fourth quarter of 2024, half have been in short supply for more than two years. From primary care to oncology, physicians have scrambled to find in-stock alternatives that insurance plans will cover. This new law aims to ease the burden by requiring insurance companies to cover brand-name drugs when generics, often in short supply, are unavailable.
Emergency Contraceptive Accessibility
Illinois House Bill 3489
Effective January 2026
This law updates the existing Pharmacy Practice Act, which allows pharmacists to consult on and dispense contraceptives, to include emergency contraception. Additionally, it requires Medicaid coverage for these services and products. Access to emergency contraception is critical in situations such as unprotected sex (which nearly 70% of sexually active women ages 14 to 25 have), sexual assault (which affects more than 423,000 people age 12 and older per year in the U.S.), or contraceptive failure. Emergency contraception may include Plan B (levonorgestrel pill), Phexxi (nonhormonal gel), and Ella (ulipristal acetate pill).
Menopause Treatment Coverage
Illinois House Bill 5295
Effective January 2026
HB 5295 has two provisions focused on insurance coverage for menopause treatment. The first requires that companies cover medically necessary hormone therapy for menopause provided between Jan. 1, 2024, and Jan. 1, 2026. The second provision, effective Jan. 1, 2026, requires coverage for medically necessary menopause treatment, including both hormonal and nonhormonal therapies.
Originally published in the Spring/Summer 2026 print issue.
Ros Lederman, a freelance writer and fact checker, has been writing since she could put a pen to paper, back when that was what “writing” meant. She pursued all forms of writing through graduate school, finding her home writing about all things medical and healthcare. She also branched out into the world of digital accessibility, driven by passion and personal experience living with disabilities.
