Illinois Health and Hospital Association Statement on the Passage of HB 2371

Press Release

June 1, 2026

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) President and CEO A.J. Wilhelmi issued the following statement following the May 31 passage of the Illinois Patient Access to Pharmacy Protection Act (House Bill 2371) with bipartisan support. 

“We are grateful that the Illinois General Assembly took action today to protect access to care for vulnerable patients and communities across the state. I want to especially thank Rep. Anna Moeller and Sen. Dave Koehler for their leadership, partnership, and thoughtful collaboration in advancing legislation that strengthens and protects the 340B program and the patients who depend on it.

“For more than three decades, the 340B program has served as a critical lifeline—helping hospitals expand access to affordable medications, support chronic disease management, enhance behavioral health services, and address longstanding disparities in care. This legislation not only preserves these vital patient benefits, but also improves transparency and accountability surrounding the program, helping ensure policymakers and the public have a clearer understanding of how 340B savings are reinvested to meet community health needs.”

Illinois now joins more than 20 other states that have enacted protections for the 340B program, safeguarding patients’ access to 340B medications and the healthcare services those savings support in communities across the state. HB 2371 now heads to the desk of Gov. JB Pritzker for consideration.

About IHA
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association, with offices in Chicago, Naperville, Springfield, and Washington, D.C., advocates for Illinois’ more than 200 hospitals and nearly 40 health systems as they serve their patients and communities. IHA members provide a broad range of services—not just within their walls, but across the continuum of healthcare and in their communities. Reflecting the diversity of the state, IHA members consist of nonprofit, investor-owned and public hospitals in the following categories: community, safety net, rural, critical access, specialty, and teaching hospitals, including academic medical centers. For more information, see www.team-iha.org. Like IHA on Facebook. Follow IHA on X (formally known as Twitter).