Illinois just became the first state to require insurance companies to cover EpiPen injectors for kids

Authored by edition.cnn.com and submitted by drkgodess
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(CNN) Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed a law that would require insurance companies to cover costs for kids needing EpiPen injections for cases of severe allergic reactions.

House Bill 3435 will take effect January 1, and would require companies offering health insurance policies in Illinois to pay for "medically necessary epinephrine injectors for persons 18 years of age or under."

In a tweet on Tuesday, Pritzker hailed the bill, saying, "This legislation takes a big step forward in protecting our children and families."

When administered during an anaphylactic attack, the pens deliver what can be a lifesaving dose of epinephrine, or adrenaline. The epinephrine helps open up the airways and reduce swelling.

In an email, Tonya Winders, who heads the Allergy and Asthma Network, confirmed to CNN that Illinois is the first state to mandate EpiPen insurance coverage.

existentialism91342 on August 14th, 2019 at 17:43 UTC »

This is great and terrible at the same time. They basically just said that Mylan's unethical practice is now government endorsed and enforced. It's great that people with insurance will have access. But royally fucks people without insurance.

The_Drizzle_Returns on August 14th, 2019 at 17:30 UTC »

Now the real battle of actually finding a place that has EpiPen's in stock begins.

Liberated__SOUL on August 14th, 2019 at 17:25 UTC »

Good news but It seriously needs to be covered nationally. Anaphylaxis is fatal and for insurance companies to not universally cover it is BS.