(225 ILCS 25/44) (from Ch. 111, par. 2344)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)

Sec. 44. Practice by corporations prohibited; exceptions. No corporation shall practice dentistry or engage therein, or hold itself out as being entitled to practice dentistry, or furnish dental services or dentists, or advertise under or assume the title of dentist or dental surgeon or equivalent title, or furnish dental advice for any compensation, or advertise or hold itself out with any other person or alone, that it has or owns a dental office or can furnish dental service or dentists, or solicit through itself, or its agents, officers, employees, directors or trustees, dental patronage for any dentist employed by any corporation.

Nothing contained in this Act, however, shall:

(a) prohibit a corporation from employing a dentist or dentists to render dental services to its employees, provided that such dental services shall be rendered at no cost or charge to the employees;

(b) prohibit a corporation or association from providing dental services upon a wholly charitable basis to deserving recipients;

(c) prohibit a corporation or association from furnishing information or clerical services which can be furnished by persons not licensed to practice dentistry, to any dentist when such dentist assumes full responsibility for such information or services;

(d) prohibit dental corporations as authorized by the Professional Service Corporation Act, dental associations as authorized by the Professional Association Act, or dental limited liability companies as authorized by the Limited Liability Company Act;

(e) prohibit dental limited liability partnerships as authorized by the Uniform Partnership Act (1997);

(f) prohibit hospitals, public health clinics, federally qualified health centers, or other entities specified by rule of the Department from providing dental services; or

(g) prohibit dental management service organizations from providing non-clinical business services that do not violate the provisions of this Act.

Any corporation violating the provisions of this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and each day that this Act is violated shall be considered a separate offense.

If a dental management service organization is responsible for enrolling the dentist as a provider in managed care plans provider networks, it shall provide verification to the managed care provider network regarding whether the provider is accepting new patients at each of the specific locations listing the provider.

Nothing in this Section shall void any contractual relationship between the provider and the organization.

(Source: P.A. 99-329, eff. 1-1-16; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)