Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a package of bills Aug. 22 aimed at improving mental healthcare throughout the state through telemedicine, according to WSIU.
The laws will allow providers to use telehealth services to connect with behavioral health patients in rural and underserved areas while also requiring insurers to provide mental health and addiction treatment at the same rate as traditional care.
"It's just a wonderful thing to see, especially in mental health, that those who need this the most will no longer be deprived of what’s rightfully belonging to them," said state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur.