Morrison working to ensure hearing aids are available to minors

• Health
• Children
• HB 4516
• Hearing Aids

SPRINGFIELD – Insurance companies would be required to cover prescribed hearing aids for minors in Illinois under a plan advanced yesterday afternoon by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield).

“When a child cannot hear properly, a host of problems can arise, including falling behind in school and behavioral challenges,” Morrison said. “Hearing aids are medically necessary for children to successfully go to school and grow. We must ensure they are available to all children who need them.”

House Bill 4516 would require insurers in Illinois to cover prescribed hearing aids to minors as well as cover related services and repairs when necessary. While the number of children in Illinois who need hearing aids is relatively small at under 5,000, the nature of children’s hearing disabilities is usually different from adults and requires different kinds of hearing aids.

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Morrison advances proposal to help combat opioid crisis

• Health
• HB 1338
• Opioid Abuse

SPRINGFIELD – Home nurses and members of law enforcement would be able to safely dispose of unused liquid medication under a proposal sponsored by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) that advanced today in the Senate Public Health Committee.

“A key component in our fight against the opioid crisis is limiting access to highly addictive painkillers and other drugs,” Morrison said. “While we have seen success in combating doctor shopping and the over-prescribing of opioids, we must also ensure leftover painkillers – especially in home health situations – are disposed of and not readily available for potential abuse.”

Morrison’s proposal, which is contained in House Bill 1338, would expand the ability of nurses and law enforcement to properly dispose of leftover medications.

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Coming Up: Town Hall in Highland Park

• Events
• Town Hall
• Highland Park

Join State Senator Julie Morrison for a Legislative Update Town Hall. The event will take place on Saturday, May 5 at 10:00a.m. at the Highland Park Library (494 Laurel Avenue, Highland Park).

Questions?

Contact Senator Morrison's office in Deerfield at (847) 945-5200.

Click on the flyer for more information

Morrison passes Tobacco 21 (VIDEO)

• Video
• Tobacco 21
• SB 2332

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) that would increase the age to legally purchase tobacco products in Illinois to 21 passed the Senate this afternoon.

“We know that adults rarely pick up a cigarette for the first time, making it so important to reduce access to tobacco for teenagers,” Morrison said. “The more we can limit the availability of tobacco for teens, the lower the chance they have of developing a lifetime addiction that disproportionally affects the adolescent brain and costs state government billions of dollars annually.”

Senate Bill 2332 would make Illinois the sixth state to raise the age to buy tobacco to 21. More than 300 towns across the country have also raised the age, including 24 municipalities in Illinois. Chicago, Highland Park, Buffalo Grove, Evanston and Peoria are a few of the cities in Illinois, both small and large, to raise the age.

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