SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) passed legislation in the Illinois Senate to end surprise medical bills on Tuesday.

“After an already expensive medical procedure, the last thing a patient needs is to be strapped with additional costs,” Gillespie said. “Our plan will protect consumers from receiving surprise bills long after receiving treatment.”

House Bill 4703 protects people covered under group and individual health plans from getting surprise medical bills after receiving most services from out-of-network providers. The legislation will bring Illinois on par with the federal No Surprises Act, which establishes new protections against surprise medical bills.

Before the No Surprises Act took effect in Jan. 2022, consumers who received care from out-of-network providers could be liable for the difference between the charges the provider billed and the amount paid by their health plan, even when receiving care at an in-network facility.

The measure is supported by the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, Shriver Center on Poverty Law and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, among others.

“Health care providers ought to be transparent about how much a given treatment may cost before it is administered,” Gillespie said.

House Bill 4703 passed the Illinois Senate and awaits the governor’s signature before becoming law.