The Senate today approved a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) declaring May 1, 2018, Lyme Disease Awareness Day in Illinois.

“I hope that by sponsoring this resolution more people will learn how to spot tick bites and the symptoms of Lyme disease,” Murphy said. “Illinoisans need to know the dangers of this disease.”

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterial infection transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tick. Symptoms include a fever, headache and skin rash. If Lyme disease is not treated, the infection can spread to the heart, nervous system and joints.

“Lyme disease can be treated if caught early,” Murphy said. “Lyme disease does not only affect hikers and hunters. Increasingly, people are being infected in their homes by mice carrying infected ticks.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30,000 Americans report being infected with Lyme disease each year but there could be as many as 300,000 cases annually.

Not all ticks carry the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, and it is not possible to tell by sight which ticks are infected.

The CDC reports that people with Lyme disease can fully recover if they are treated with antibiotics in the early stages of illness.

SPRINGFIELD — Lottery winners’ identities would not automatically be disclosed under legislation sponsored by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).

The Illinois Senate today approved Senate Bill 211 to allow Lottery winners of more than $250,000 to submit a written request that their identity be kept confidential.

“Illinoisans should have a right to their privacy,” Murphy said. “The government should not force Lottery winners to disclose their identities just because they were lucky enough to win. Though this legislation affects a small portion of the population, I think the right to privacy is an important principle.”

Currently, Lottery winners’ names, city of residence, date the prize is won and amount of winnings are matters of public record and are therefore subject to public disclosure laws. Under this amended legislation, winners’ identities would only be available through a FOIA request.

Senate Bill 211 now advances to the House for further consideration.

Employers may see lower workers’ compensation premiums under a measure backed by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) which passed the Senate today.

“Despite a successful workers’ compensation reform package being implemented in 2011, insurance companies have immorally been pocketing savings rather than passing them on to employers,” Murphy said. “Today I pushed back on the status quo and supported a measure that would incentivize insurers to reduce premiums for business owners.”

Senate Bill 2863 requires insurance companies to pre-file rates with the Department of Insurance. If an insurance company would like to change that rate, it must provide justification. The legislation also clarifies that for an injury to be covered by workers’ compensation there must be a fundamental connection between the injury and the employment.

“We have a lot of work to do to reinvigorate the economic climate of Illinois,” Murphy said. “I hope that the governor will support this measure to help businesses across the state.”

Additionally, Senate Bill 2863 implements electronic billing for claims and creates a penalty for an extended delay in authorizing medical treatment.

Senate Bill 2863, which is identical to House Bill 2525, passed the Senate today and now advances to the House.

Today State Senator Laura Murphy pushed back against the Rauner administration by advancing a Medicaid managed care transparency measure he previously vetoed.

“The governor made a mistake when he rejected this proposal and attempted to put a multibillion dollar industry before taxpayers and Medicaid recipients,” Murphy (D-Des Plaines) said. “I couldn’t stand for that. I will continue to fight for transparency in Medicaid managed care programs.”

Senate Bill 2447 requires the auditor general to conduct a performance audit of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ Medicaid managed care program by Jan. 1, 2019.

The audit would probe whether DHFS has developed and applied standardized quality performance measures to Medicaid Managed Care Entities. It would also examine if the department has implemented measures to automatically assign Medicaid patients into managed care entities.

Performance audits can only be conducted at the request of the General Assembly or the Audit Commission, Murphy noted.

“The governor thought that this type of audit could be conducted as part of an existing investigation, but that’s not how it works,” she said. “I want to ensure the Medicaid managed care program operated by the Rauner administration is effectively using taxpayer dollars. This is one of the state’s largest contracts. It deserves a closer look.”

This transparency measure was formerly Senate Bill 321, which Murphy proposed last year. The governor vetoed it Sept. 22, 2017.