(Springfield, IL) – Bipartisan legislation that targets out-of-state “patient brokers” taking advantage of Illinois residents struggling with opioid addiction and other behavioral health crisis by marketing expensive, questionable ‘treatment’ services  has been approved by the full Illinois House.

The measure, House Bill 4949, zipped through the House 110-0 last week.

The legislation seeks to prohibit marketers from falsely encouraging patients and families to seek treatment outside of Illinois, which would result in out-of-network expenses and travel costs.

“Scam artists marketing unscrupulous drug treatment providers have mushroomed since the opioid crisis exploded in Illinois, and they’re preying on desperate families seeking to help a loved one overcome their addiction,” said Illinois Association for Behavioral Health C.E.O. Sara Howe. “This legislation bans the tactics that are driving patient brokering, such as barring marketers and patient brokers from seeking kickbacks and referral fees in exchange for directing patients for mental health and substance use disorder treatment.”

State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) is sponsoring the bill.

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