Section 965.310  Waiver from Single Credentialing Cycle

a)         A health care entity or health care plan may apply to the Director via letter for an exemption from the single credentialing cycle.  (See Section 20(c) of the Act)  The request for consideration shall be addressed to the Department's Office of Health Care Regulation, the Director's designee for administration of this program.

1)         The request for waiver of this provision shall be submitted to the Department on or before November 1 of the year prior to initiation of the established cycle.

2)         The request for waiver must contain, at a minimum, the following:

A)        a detailed explanation as to the undue hardship that would be created for the health care entity or health care plan in following the published single cycle.

B)        a detailed explanation and outline of the plan for conducting and time frame involved in the process that would be utilized in place of the published single cycle by the requesting health care entity or health care plan.

b)         The Director will evaluate the request for exemption based upon whether the plan is a small or unique health care entity for which compliance with the single credentialing cycle presents an undue hardship.

c)         The Department will notify waiver applicants of approval or denial by December 15 of the year prior to implementation of the single cycle.

d)         A denial of a waiver may be appealed in accordance with the procedures in Section 965.250.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 12398, effective August 1, 2024)