Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) wants to find ways to remove barriers to getting mental health and addiction care. | Courtesy Photo
Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) wants to find ways to remove barriers to getting mental health and addiction care. | Courtesy Photo
Illinois lawmakers listened to ideas about removing barriers related to mental health and addiction care during a legislative hearing in March.
The Senate and Behavioral and Mental Health Committee hearing, led by Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview), collected testimony from witnesses to address the health issue.
"The need for mental health and addiction care has never been more acute than it is right now, in the midst of a global pandemic," Fine said in an April 11 Facebook post. "This is an emotional yet critical issue we must address as it affects us, our family members and our friends."
Fine also sponsored Senate Bill 697, which clarifies the definition of medical necessity to "match modern standards of care, ensuring individuals with mental health or substance use disorders can depend on their insurance to cover life-saving treatment."
One of the issues many people with mental health and addictions face is access to treatment because insurers refuse to cover medical care that is deemed to be "unnecessary."
One of Fine's constituents, Alice Feldman, testified in the hearing about her struggles with having a mental illness and emphasized how early treatment is the key to saving lives. Still, not everyone can get the dire medical coverage needed.
She also shared her having many friends who have died from addiction because they could not get the help they needed, and had they had medical coverage, it could have saved their lives.
"Proper mental health care leads to more positive outcomes," Fine said in a March release. "We must fight for change until there is no mental health stigma in our society and people are able to get the help they need as soon as they need it."
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