(The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers are considering a mandate for insurance companies to cover “medically necessary” laser hair removal, despite cost concerns for small businesses.

House Bill 3248 returned to the Illinois House for concurrence after it was approved in the Senate last Thursday.

State Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Cherry Valley, urged lawmakers to vote against the bill, saying it would hurt small businesses and raise insurance costs for families.

“This is another one of these mandates that are being put on to just a small number of small employers in Illinois with their health insurance costs, which takes Illinois for the last four years to over 60 added mandates, more than any other state in the country,” Syverson said. “I think there’s probably more uses than was being talked about as for the reasons for this mandate.”

State Sen. Graciela Guzmán, D-Chicago, is the chief Senate sponsor of HB 3248.

“The bill in itself is pretty prescriptive about the three conditions that it speaks to help alleviate, which is HS [hidradenitis suppurativa], gender-affirming care, as well as polycystic ovary syndrome,” Guzmán said. “I think we really want to center the fact that we have folks in pain, in physical pain, in mental health pain.”

According to WebMD, gender-affirming care refers to treatments that “support a transgender or nonbinary person in their gender transition.”

The bill’s Senate amendment provides that coverage for laser hair removal is not applicable to plans providing services for people enrolled under the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

After passing the Senate by a vote of 37-19, the amended HB 3248 was assigned to the House Rules Committee for concurrence.

The General Assembly’s spring legislative session is scheduled to end on Saturday, May 31.