SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A bipartisan bill to stop arbitrary time limits on anesthesia passed the Illinois Senate unanimously.

Anesthesia doctor

The plan came to existence when insurance companies tried to enforce the time limit across the U.S. If a surgery went on longer than the set time, insurance companies would force the person getting surgery to pay for anesthesia used over the time limit.

After considerable blowback, the companies rescinded this plan, but that didn't stop lawmakers from ensuring this policy will never be allowed in Illinois.

This bill would stop insurance companies from setting any time limit on anesthesia, regardless of surgery. State Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) said this is the last thing people going under need to worry about.

"There are so many other things you're worried about," Turner said, "You're worried about your health, you're worried about your family. You should not have to worry about the time limit of anesthesia."

The plan came originally from the House, led by state Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton). The GOP member said the patient or the even surgeon can't control the time of surgery. 

"This was really beyond the pale," Hauter said. "They would put this all on the patient just because the surgery went over an arbitrary set of time. That's just wrong."

"This is a very bipartisan bill and my friend Rep. Diana Blair-Sherlock (D-Villa Park) called me and texted me right away saying 'we gotta do something about this' and the Speaker of the House was a co-sponsor so this was a really bipartisan bill."

With the plan passing the Senate unanimously, it will now head to the Governor's office where it could be signed into law.

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