Requirements

An individual or group policy of accident or health insurance shall cover telehealth services, e-visits, and virtual check-ins rendered by a health care professional when clinically appropriate and medically necessary to insureds, enrollees, and members in the same manner as any other benefits covered under the policy. An individual or group policy of accident or health insurance may provide reimbursement to a facility that serves as the originating site at the time a telehealth service is rendered.

To ensure telehealth service, e-visit, and virtual check-in access is equitable for all patients in receipt of health care services under this Section and health care professionals and facilities are able to deliver medically necessary services that can be appropriately delivered via telehealth within the scope of their licensure or certification, coverage required under this Section shall comply with all of the following:

• An individual or group policy of accident or health insurance shall not:
  • require that in-person contact occur between a health care professional and a patient before the provision of a telehealth service;
  • require patients, health care professionals, or facilities to prove or document a hardship or access barrier to an in-person consultation for coverage and reimbursement of telehealth services, e-visits, or virtual check-ins;
  • require the use of telehealth services, e-visits, or virtual check-ins when the health care professional has determined that it is not appropriate;
  • require the use of telehealth services when a patient chooses an in-person consultation;
  • require a health care professional to be physically present in the same room as the patient at the originating site, unless deemed medically necessary by the health care professional providing the telehealth service;
  • create geographic or facility restrictions or requirements for telehealth services, e-visits, or virtual check-ins;
  • require health care professionals or facilities to offer or provide telehealth services, e-visits, or virtual check-ins;
  • require patients to use telehealth services, e-visits, or virtual check-ins, or require patients to use a separate panel of health care professionals or facilities to receive telehealth service, e-visit, or virtual check-in coverage and reimbursement; or
  • impose upon telehealth services, e-visits, or virtual check-ins utilization review requirements that are unnecessary, duplicative, or unwarranted or impose any treatment limitations, prior authorization, documentation, or recordkeeping requirements that are more stringent than the requirements applicable to the same health care service when rendered in-person, except procedure code modifiers may be required to document telehealth.

Deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or any other cost-sharing applicable to services provided through telehealth shall not exceed the deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or any other cost-sharing required by the individual or group policy of accident or health insurance for the same services provided through in-person consultation.

An individual or group policy of accident or health insurance shall notify health care professionals and facilities of any instructions necessary to facilitate billing for telehealth services, e-visits, and virtual check-ins.

An individual or group policy of accident or health insurance shall provide coverage for telehealth services for licensed dietitian nutritionists and certified diabetes educators who counsel diabetes patients in the diabetes patients’ homes to remove the hurdle of transportation for diabetes patients to receive treatment, in accordance with the Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Act.

Any policy, contract, or certificate of health insurance coverage that does not distinguish between in-network and out-of-network health care professionals and facilities shall be subject to this Section as though all health care professionals and facilities were in-network.

Health care professionals and facilities shall determine the appropriateness of specific sites, technology platforms, and technology vendors for a telehealth service, as long as delivered services adhere to all federal and State privacy, security, and confidentiality laws, rules, or regulations, including, but not limited to, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.

Nothing in this Section shall be deemed as precluding a health insurer from providing benefits for other telehealth services, including, but not limited to, services not required for coverage provided through an asynchronous store and forward system, remote patient monitoring services, other monitoring services, or oral communications otherwise covered under the policy.

There shall be no restrictions on originating site requirements for telehealth coverage or reimbursement to the distant site under this Section other than requiring the telehealth services to be medically necessary and clinically appropriate.

The Department may adopt rules, including emergency rules subject to the provisions of Section 5-45 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, to implement the provisions of this Section.

The Department and the Department of Public Health shall commission a report to the General Assembly administered by an established medical college in this State wherein supervised clinical training takes place at an affiliated institution that uses telehealth services, subject to appropriation. The report shall study the insurer telehealth coverage and reimbursement policies to determine if the policies improve access to care, reduce health disparities, promote health equity, have an impact on utilization and cost-avoidance, including direct or indirect cost savings to the patient, and to provide any recommendations for telehealth access expansion in the future. An individual or group policy of accident or health insurance shall provide data necessary to carry out the requirements of this subsection upon request of the Department. The Department and the Department of Public Health shall submit the report by December 31, 2026. The established medical college may utilize subject matter expertise to complete any necessary actuarial analysis.

SOURCE: IL Insurance Code Chap. 215, Sec. 5/356z.22. (Accessed Apr 2026).

A group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed before January 1, 2026 shall provide coverage for medically necessary continuous glucose monitors for individuals who are diagnosed with any form of diabetes mellitus and require insulin for the management of their diabetes. A group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 shall provide coverage for continuous glucose monitors, related supplies, and training in the use of continuous glucose monitors for any individual if the following requirements are met:

1. the individual is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus;
2. the continuous glucose monitor has been prescribed by a physician licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 or a certified nurse practitioner or physician assistant with a collaborative agreement with the physician;
3. the continuous glucose monitor has been prescribed in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration’s indications for use;
4. the prescriber has concluded that the individual or individual’s caregiver has sufficient training in using the continuous glucose monitor, which may be evidenced by the prescriber having prescribed a continuous glucose monitor, and has attested that the patient will be provided with that training;
5. the individual either:
   1. uses insulin for treatment via one or more injections or infusions of insulin per day, and only one injection or infusion of one type of insulin shall be sufficient utilization of insulin to qualify for a continuous glucose monitor under this Section; or
   2. has reported a history of problematic hypoglycemia with documentation to the individual’s medical provider showing at least one of the following:
      1. recurrent hypoglycemic events characterized by an altered mental or physical state, despite multiple attempts to adjust medications or modify the diabetes treatment plan, as documented by a medical provider; or
      2. a history of at least one hypoglycemic event characterized by an altered mental or physical state requiring third-party assistance for treatment of hypoglycemia, as documented by the individual’s medical provider, which may be self-reported by the individual; third-party assistance shall not, in any event, be deemed to require that the individual had been admitted to a hospital or visited an emergency department; and
6. within 6 months prior to prescribing a continuous glucose monitor, the medical provider prescribing the continuous glucose monitor had an in-person or covered telehealth visit with the individual to evaluate the individual’s diabetes control and has determined that the criteria of paragraphs (1) through (5) are met.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, to qualify for a continuous glucose monitor under this Section, an individual is not required to have a diagnosis of uncontrolled diabetes; have a history of emergency room visits or hospitalizations; or show improved glycemic control.

All continuous glucose monitors covered under this Section shall be approved for use by individuals, and the choice of device shall be made based upon the individual’s circumstances and medical needs in consultation with the individual’s medical provider, subject to the terms of the policy.

Any individual who is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and meets the requirements of this Section shall not be required to obtain prior authorization for coverage for a continuous glucose monitor, and coverage shall be continuous once the continuous glucose monitor is prescribed.

A group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 shall not impose a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement on the coverage of a one-month supply of continuous glucose monitors, including one transmitter if necessary, as provided under this Section. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to coverage under this Section to the extent such coverage would disqualify a high-deductible health plan from eligibility for a health savings account pursuant to the federal Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. 23.

SOURCE: 215 ILCS 5/356z.59, (Accessed Apr 2026).

Insurers are required to include information on the use of telehealth or telemedicine in an electronic provider directory, including but not limited to:

• whether the provider offers the use of telehealth or telemedicine to deliver services to patients for whom it would be clinically appropriate;
• what modalities are used and what types of services may be provided via telehealth or telemedicine; and
• whether the provider has the ability and willingness to include in a telehealth or telemedicine encounter a family caregiver who is in a separate location than the patient if the patient wishes and provides his or her consent

Telehealth may be considered in meeting network adequacy standards.

SOURCE: IL Compiled Statutes, Chapter 215, 124/25. (Accessed Apr 2026).

Network Adequacy

The print and electronic versions of the provider directories. The directories must include up-to-date, accurate, and complete provider/facility type, location, and contact information required under Section 25 of the Act. Providers available by telehealth or telemedicine must be clearly identified and include information required under the Act.

A description of how health care services to be rendered under the network plan are reasonably accessible and available to beneficiaries, including the type of health care services to be provided by the network plan. The description shall address all of the following:

•  the availability of telehealth care, including how the use of telemedicine, telehealth, or mobile care services may be used to partially meet the network adequacy standards, if applicable (Section 10(b)(5) of the Act

SOURCE: IL Admin. Code Title 50, Chapter 1 Section 4540.40(c) & (p) & 215 ILCS 124/25, 215 ILCS 124/10. (Accessed Apr 2026).