Illinois Becomes the First State to Require Insurance Companies to Cover EpiPens for Kids

The ever-changing landscape of the U.S. healthcare system has created difficulties for people who may no longer be able to afford potentially lifesaving medications like EpiPens. The Illinois government decided it was time to step in: Beginning on January 1, 2020, health insurance companies will be required to cover EpiPen costs for children in the state with severe allergic reactions. Tonya Winders, president and CEO of the Allergy & Asthma Network, told CNN that Illinois is the first state to pass such legislation.

CNN reports that Governor J.B. Pritzker officially signed the law, House Bill 3435, which mandates insurance coverage “for epinephrine injectors for persons 18 years of age or under.” Pritzker also tweeted that “this legislation takes a big step forward in protecting our children and families.” Illinois Senator Julie Morrison, who sponsored the initial proposal, echoed the governor’s sentiment in her own statement.

“We should be doing everything we can to expand access to affordable lifesaving drugs and medicines,” Morrison said. “No child with a serious allergy should be without an epinephrine injector because they cannot afford one.”

In 2009, the purchase of two EpiPens would have set you back about $100; by 2016, that number had skyrocketed to $600. During that time, the situation became so dire that some people were opting to fill their own syringes with epinephrine instead, making it more difficult to measure the dose and also administer the injection. Thankfully, the FDA approved a generic version of the EpiPen last year, providing market competition for pharmaceutical company Mylan, which has been manufacturing EpiPens thus far.

EpiPens work by injecting a high dose of epinephrine, or adrenaline, into your bloodstream, which reduces the rapid swelling of your airways during anaphylactic shock. Since allergic reactions can happen so quickly, your life could be seriously threatened if you don’t have an EpiPen nearby at the time of the attack. Wondering what anaphylactic shock looks like from the inside? Find out here.