State government came to the living room of a home on a tree-lined street in Lombard Tuesday morning. It was a rare scene. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle crowded around a kitchen table as Governor Bruce Rauner signed ‘Charlies’ Law’
What is a common illness can turn into a catastrophic brain disease that until now, health insurance companies didn’t cover. Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal virus… or PANDAS, affects one in 200 children. It can be treated and cured with a series of intravenous antibiotics. Until now, insurance didn’t cover the $12,000 dollar cost. State Representative Deb Conroy authored legislation to require coverage. Governor Bruce Rauner signed it into law Tuesday morning in Lombard. Conroy says it was a hard fight:
Governor Rauner praised the bipartisan effort that made caring for children a priority. He says Illinois is now the first state in country to require insurance companies to cover PANDAS.