Illinois | NonOpioidChoices

State Facts

1,869

Deaths, or 74.3% of total overdose deaths involved opioids in 2024.¹

1.9 Million

Claims, or 3.5% of all Medicare Part D claims were for opioids in 2022 – an average of 36 per prescriber.²

35.2

Opioid Prescriptions were written for every 100 persons in Illinois in 2023.³

$679.6 Million

Estimated excess cost to Illinois Medicaid for Opioid Use Disorder in 2022.⁴

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Opioid Settlement Funds

$1,410,172,303.51

State Spending Recommendation

National approved use: providing support for non-opioid pain treatment alternatives, including training providers to offer or refer to multi-modal, evidence-informed treatment of pain.

Member & Endorser Footprint

Voices is backed by a broad coalition of organizations across the state united by a shared goal: ensuring patients have access to safe, effective,  and individualized pain management throughout the continuum of care.

Co-Sponsors (119th)

Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13)

Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL-2)

Passed Relevant Legislation

SB 1238

SB 1238 prohibits health insurance issuers from denying coverage of a non-opioid prescription
drug in favor of an opioid and ensures that the Illinois Medicaid program does not disadvantage
or discourage non-opioid prescription drugs compared to opioids or narcotics for the treatment
or management of pain. In addition, the bill directs the Department of Public Health to develop
and publish a pamphlet to provide patients with clear, accessible information about non-opioid
pain management options.

Effective date

01/01/2027

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2025 Introduced Relevant Legislation

HB 3456

This bill requires all health insurance issuers in Illinois to develop and implement plans by 2027 that ensure access to a wide range of non-opioid pain management services, subject to state review, and mandates coverage and education efforts across public and private insurance programs.

Introduced

03/21/2025

Plan Impact

Commercial

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Voices Letters

Testimony at Illinois Senate Insurance Committee Meeting

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Support Letter to Gov. Pritzker: SB 1238

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1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025). Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024). Medicare Part D Opioid Prescribing Mapping Tool. https://cms-oeda.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=5390718d875d4c049b1ac5976a9ff083

3. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2024). Opioid Dispensing Rate Maps. https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/data-research/facts-stats/opioid-dispensing-rate-maps.html

4. Health Management Associates (2025). Opioid Use Disorder in the Medicaid Fee-For-Service Program Economic Analysis. Opioid-Use-Disorder-Economic-Impact-on-Medicaid-Program-073125.pdf