Section 590.240  Scholarship Repayment

a)         Upon the Illinois licensure of the scholarship recipient to practice medicine, the recipient shall provide primary health care in a designated shortage area of Illinois. The term of this service shall be one year for each academic year he or she is a scholarship recipient. (Section 3.07 of the Act)

b)         Service as a primary care physician shall begin no later than 30 days after the licensure of the recipient to practice medicine.

1)         Service shall be deferred by the Department until recipient completes a primary care residency; service shall begin no later than 30 days after completion.

2)         If recipient leaves the residency program prior to completion, service shall begin within 30 days.

c)         Upon written approval of the Department, service shall be deferred until 30 days following completion of a fellowship in a primary care specialty.

d)         The recipient's internship, residency or other advanced clinical training does not qualify as service repayment of the scholarship obligation.

e)         Written approval of the Department for a proposed practice location shall be requested and received by the scholarship recipient.

1)         Without such approval, time in practice at such a location shall not meet scholarship recipient's service obligation.

2)         The scholarship recipient may request and receive approval for a practice location up to 18 months preceding the time practice at the location is to begin.

3)         Approval for a practice location is granted for the duration of the scholarship recipient's service obligation.

f)          The scholarship recipient's practice shall meet the following requirements:

1)         Be located in a designated shortage area(s) (See Subpart E);

2)         Be a full-time, office-based practice providing direct patient care (See Subpart A, Section 590.20 for definition of full-time, by primary care specialty);

3)         Be in one, or in a combination of the primary care specialties; and

4)         Be providing continuous service at the rate of 12 months for each academic year of medical school supported by the scholarship.

g)         Scholarship recipients may relocate to another practice location, or practice in more than one location if prior written approval is granted by the Department.

h)         Scholarship recipients shall enter into a written contract (See Appendix B) with the Department which describes terms of the service obligation and contains provisions for enforcement of the contract.

i)          Scholarship recipients who fail to provide service as required shall pay to the Department a sum of money equal to 3 times the amount of the average annual scholarship award of the recipient's for each year, or portion thereof, the recipient fails to fulfill the service obligation (Section 10 of the Act).

1)         Payment shall be made in equal monthly installments in such amounts so all sums due shall be paid within a period of time equal to the recipient's service term, or remaining portion thereof, or as otherwise approved by the Department.

2)         Recipient and Department shall enter into a written contract (See Appendix C) which describes terms of the repayment and contains provisions for enforcement of the contract.

j)          In the event a scholarship recipient fails to pay monies owed the Department, the Department may refer the matter to the Attorney General or to a collection agency.