(215 ILCS 5/356r)

Sec. 356r. Woman's principal health care provider.

(a) An individual or group policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed in this State after November 14, 1996 that requires an insured or enrollee to designate an individual to coordinate care or to control access to health care services shall also permit a female insured or enrollee to designate a participating woman's principal health care provider, and the insurer or managed care plan shall provide the following written notice to all female insureds or enrollees no later than 120 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998; to all new enrollees at the time of enrollment; and thereafter to all existing enrollees at least annually, as a part of a regular publication or informational mailing: "NOTICE TO ALL FEMALE PLAN MEMBERS: YOUR RIGHT TO SELECT A WOMAN'S PRINCIPAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. Illinois law allows you to select "a woman's principal health care provider" in addition to your selection of a primary care physician. A woman's principal health care provider is a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches specializing in obstetrics or gynecology or specializing in family practice. A woman's principal health care provider may be seen for care without referrals from your primary care physician. If you have not already selected a woman's principal health care provider, you may do so now or at any other time. You are not required to have or to select a woman's principal health care provider.

Your woman's principal health care provider must be a part of your plan. You may get the list of participating obstetricians, gynecologists, and family practice specialists from your employer's employee benefits coordinator, or for your own copy of the current list, you may call [insert plan's toll free number]. The list will be sent to you within 10 days after your call. To designate a woman's principal health care provider from the list, call [insert plan's toll free number] and tell our staff the name of the physician you have selected.".

If the insurer or managed care plan exercises the option set forth in subsection (a-5), the notice shall also state:

"Your plan requires that your primary care physician and your woman's principal health care provider have a referral arrangement with one another. If the woman's principal health care provider that you select does not have a referral arrangement with your primary care physician, you will have to select a new primary care physician who has a referral arrangement with your woman's principal health care provider or you may select a woman's principal health care provider who has a referral arrangement with your primary care physician. The list of woman's principal health care providers will also have the names of the primary care physicians and their referral arrangements.".

No later than 120 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998, the insurer or managed care plan shall provide each employer who has a policy of insurance or a managed care plan with the insurer or managed care plan with a list of physicians licensed to practice medicine in all its branches specializing in obstetrics or gynecology or specializing in family practice who have contracted with the plan. At the time of enrollment and thereafter within 10 days after a request by an insured or enrollee, the insurer or managed care plan also shall provide this list directly to the insured or enrollee. The list shall include each physician's address, telephone number, and specialty. No insurer or plan formal or informal policy may restrict a female insured's or enrollee's right to designate a woman's principal health care provider, except as set forth in subsection (a-5). If the female enrollee is an enrollee of a managed care plan under contract with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the physician chosen by the enrollee as her woman's principal health care provider must be a Medicaid-enrolled provider. This requirement does not require a female insured or enrollee to make a selection of a woman's principal health care provider. The female insured or enrollee may designate a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches specializing in family practice as her woman's principal health care provider.

(a-5) The insured or enrollee may be required by the insurer or managed care plan to select a woman's principal health care provider who has a referral arrangement with the insured's or enrollee's individual who coordinates care or controls access to health care services if such referral arrangement exists or to select a new individual to coordinate care or to control access to health care services who has a referral arrangement with the woman's principal health care provider chosen by the insured or enrollee, if such referral arrangement exists. If an insurer or a managed care plan requires an insured or enrollee to select a new physician under this subsection (a-5), the insurer or managed care plan must provide the insured or enrollee with both options to select a new physician provided in this subsection (a-5).

Notwithstanding a plan's restrictions of the frequency or timing of making designations of primary care providers, a female enrollee or insured who is subject to the selection requirements of this subsection, may, at any time, effect a change in primary care physicians in order to make a selection of a woman's principal health care provider.

(a-6) If an insurer or managed care plan exercises the option in subsection (a-5), the list to be provided under subsection (a) shall identify the referral arrangements that exist between the individual who coordinates care or controls access to health care services and the woman's principal health care provider in order to assist the female insured or enrollee to make a selection within the insurer's or managed care plan's requirement.

(b) If a female insured or enrollee has designated a woman's principal health care provider, then the insured or enrollee must be given direct access to the woman's principal health care provider for services covered by the policy or plan without the need for a referral or prior approval. Nothing shall prohibit the insurer or managed care plan from requiring prior authorization or approval from either a primary care provider or the woman's principal health care provider for referrals for additional care or services.

(c) For the purposes of this Section the following terms are defined:

(1) "Woman's principal health care provider" means a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches specializing in obstetrics or gynecology or specializing in family practice.

(2) "Managed care entity" means any entity including a licensed insurance company, hospital or medical service plan, health maintenance organization, limited health service organization, preferred provider organization, third party administrator, an employer or employee organization, or any person or entity that establishes, operates, or maintains a network of participating providers.

(3) "Managed care plan" means a plan operated by a managed care entity that provides for the financing of health care services to persons enrolled in the plan through:

(A) organizational arrangements for ongoing quality assurance, utilization review programs, or dispute resolution; or

(B) financial incentives for persons enrolled in the plan to use the participating providers and procedures covered by the plan.

(4) "Participating provider" means a physician who has contracted with an insurer or managed care plan to provide services to insureds or enrollees as defined by the contract.

(d) The original provisions of this Section became law on July 17, 1996 and took effect November 14, 1996, which is 120 days after becoming law.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)