SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — A new bill that will help supply equal and fair insurance coverage for transfer treatment using proton beam therapy will take effect January 1st, 2024.

We must supply the most effective treatment possible to cancer patients,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “The advancement of health technology must coincide with the advancement of our insurance coverage policies.

Proton beam therapy is a modern cancer radiation therapy tool that uses focused beams to identify the exact depth and location of cancerous cells in the body in order to target the tumor rather than the surrounding healthy tissue.

House Bill 2899 will prohibit insurers from applying a higher standard of coverage for proton beam therapy than they would for another form of treatment.

The OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute in Peoria is currently constructing a $250 million facility that will heavily focus on this form of treatment.

It will be the second medical center capable of delivering the therapy in Illinois, including Northwestern Medicine in the Chicago area.

The facility is set to open around the end of February.

We must ensure that necessary care is cost effective,” said Koehler. “People deserve to have access to the highest quality of care at the lowest possible rate.

House Bill 2799 takes effect January 1st, 2024.