Illinois 1st State To Require EpiPen Insurance Coverage For Kids

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Starting Jan. 1, insurance companies with policies in Illinois will be required to cover the cost of necessary EpiPen injections for those under the age of 18. Gov. Pritzker signed the measure into law Friday, calling the legislation "a big step forward in protecting" Illinois children and families, according to his Facebook page. The proposal for the legislation contained in House Bill 3435 was passed by Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield), who said families are relying on EpiPens (Epinephrine injectors) more than ever before due to "steady increases in food allergies and other serious allergic conditions," according to a release from her office.

Tonya Winders, who heads the Allergy and Asthma Network, confirmed to CNN in an email that Illinois is the first state to require EpiPen insurance coverage, according to WGN.

"No child with a serious allergy should be without an epinephrine injector because they cannot afford one," Morrison said, according to the release.

"12 percent of children in Illinois have life-threatening allergies, including severe food allergies," Dr. Dar Siri, Medical Director and owner of Midwest Allergy Sinus Asthma said, according to the release.

So how does the life-saving drug work? Epinephrine injectors deliver the life-saving drug epinephrine to those experiencing a severe allergic reaction, according to the release. The drug narrows blood vessels and opens lung airways, reversing the symptoms of what could be a deadly allergic reaction.

"State government ought to be standing up for working families, and we're making sure of it," Pritzker said, in a statement." Lowering the cost of prescription drugs and expanding health care coverage is one important way to help lower costs and build a higher standard of living for all Illinoisans."