Ann Gillespie, the Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Insurance, and Ollie Idowu, CEO of IPHCA discuss the important world of mental health parity laws, which require that coverage for mental health conditions be no more restrictive than coverage for physical health conditions. Director Ann Gillespie, recently appointed by Governor JB Pritzker, is a former Illinois State Senator, bringing her extensive experience in managed health care and insurance reforms to the table. We discover how the Department’s latest mental health parity campaign for May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, featuring a new animated character, Yarney, is designed to help consumers understand their rights. Then we get into Illinois’ ban on “junk insurance” policies and the ban on prior authorization for mental health care services. You’ll also discover new resources available to consumers, and how mental health parity laws help fix the broken mental health system, and the impact of social factors like poverty, education, and culture on mental health care. We end with inspirational stories about Director Gillespie’s efforts and initiatives that bring hope for better mental health insurance coverage.

Resources Mentioned Mental Health Parity Campaign with Yarney: https://getcovered.illinois.gov/resources/mental-health-parity-videos.html Mental Health Parity: https://getcovered.illinois.gov/resources/mental-health-parity.html