Working for Illinois Caucus

A new law will help more Illinois residents gain access to mental health resources, according to 84th District State Representative Stephanie Kifowit. She says House Bill 2847, which takes effect as of the new year, allows for one mental health evaluation at no cost, which will allow people to begin treating their mental health like their physical health with annual screenings.

"So the state regulated commercial insurance is required to cover one no cost, no diagnosis mental health and wellness visit per year from a behavioral health provider. So much like anybody can access annual physicals. So the new law covers many people on commercial insurance including state and local government employees. It goes from teachers to first responders. So, it’s a step in the right direction."

Kifowit says these appointments can be treated like a baseline test of one’s mental health to determine if there are any issues that need to be addressed through further treatment or medicine. She says a resource like this can be vital for young people, as mental health issues amongst teenagers and young adults continue to climb.

"And I personally think it’s important for our youth as well because, unfortunately, a total statistic is the amount of youth we are losing to suicide, it is is staggering. It’s like the second most common cause of death. So if parents start teaching mental health the same as physical health, and before some of the stressors of teenage years, before some of the stressors of, you know, growing up in this environment with social media and everything start building. And these young individuals might not have the coping skills they need."

Kifowit says this law was one of the most impactful laws set to take effect as of January 1st.