(820 ILCS 305/8.2a)

Sec. 8.2a. Electronic claims.

(a) The Director of Insurance shall adopt rules to do all of the following:

(1) Ensure that all health care providers and facilities submit medical bills for payment on standardized forms.

(2) Require acceptance by employers and insurers of electronic claims for payment of medical services.

(3) Ensure confidentiality of medical information submitted on electronic claims for payment of medical services.

(4) Ensure that health care providers have an opportunity to comply with requests for records by employers and insurers for the authorization of the payment of workers' compensation claims.

(5) Ensure that health care providers are responsible for supplying only those medical records pertaining to the provider's own claims that are minimally necessary under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

(6) Provide that any electronically submitted bill determined to be complete but not paid or objected to within 30 days shall be subject to interest pursuant to item (3) of subsection (d) of Section 8.2.

(7) Provide that the Department of Insurance shall impose an administrative fine if it determines that an employer or insurer has failed to comply with the electronic claims acceptance and response process. The amount of the administrative fine shall be no greater than $1,000 per each violation, but shall not exceed $10,000 for identical violations during a calendar year.

(b) To the extent feasible, standards adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be consistent with existing standards under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

(c) The rules requiring employers and insurers to accept electronic claims for payment of medical services shall be proposed on or before January 1, 2012, and shall require all employers and insurers to accept electronic claims for payment of medical services on or before June 30, 2012. The Director of Insurance shall adopt rules by January 1, 2019 to implement the changes to this Section made by this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly. The Commission, with assistance from the Department and the Medical Fee Advisory Board, shall publish on its Internet website a companion guide to assist with compliance with electronic claims rules. The Medical Fee Advisory Board shall periodically review the companion guide.

(d) The Director of Insurance shall by rule establish criteria for granting exceptions to employers, insurance carriers, and health care providers who are unable to submit or accept medical bills electronically.

(Source: P.A. 103-508, eff. 8-4-23.)