Rep. Norine Hammond - Sliding scale insulin legislation passes House

An Illinois resident looking for assisted living facility might not be accepted for residency if they require sliding scale insulin.  Under current Illinois law, those who require the SSI must find a private duty licensed healthcare professional when living in an assisted living community, even if the community has nurses on staff that can provide for the administration of sliding scale insulin.

A sliding scale varies the dose of insulin based on blood glucose level. The higher your blood glucose the more insulin you take. The Sliding Scale method is more precise than fixed dose insulin in that it takes account of the fact that people's blood glucose is not always in the normal range before meals.

Legislation sponsored by Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) removes the provision prohibiting a person from being accepted for residency to an assisted living establishment if the person requires sliding scale insulin administration unless self-performed or administered by a licensed health care professional.

House Bill 3172 was approved in the House this week and heads to the Senate for their consideration.