94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
SB1014


 
Introduced 2/18/2005, by Sen. Carol Ronen - Emil Jones, Jr.
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		













410 ILCS 65/2
  from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8052







    Amends the Illinois Rural/Downstate Health Act.  Makes a technical change in
a
Section concerning legislative findings.
















LRB094 04695 RXD 34724 b

















 


 


A BILL FOR









 











SB1014

LRB094 04695 RXD 34724 b






1
    AN ACT concerning health.

 
2
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3
represented in the General Assembly: 


 
4
    Section 5. The Illinois Rural/Downstate Health Act is 
5
amended by changing Section 2 as follows:
 



6
    (410 ILCS 65/2)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8052)



7
    Sec. 2. The
The General Assembly finds that citizens in the 
8
rural, downstate
and designated shortage areas of this State 
9
are increasingly faced with
problems in accessing necessary 
10
health care. The closure of small rural
hospitals, the 
11
inability of these areas to attract new physicians, the

12
elimination of  existing physician services because of 
13
increasing practice
costs, including the cost of providing 
14
malpractice insurance, and the lack
of systems of emergency 
15
medical care contribute to the access problems
experienced by 
16
these residents. While Illinois is not unique
in experiencing

17
these problems, the need to maintain or enhance the economies 
18
of these
areas of the State requires that new and innovative 
19
strategies be
identified and implemented to respond to the 
20
health care needs of residents
of these areas. It is therefore 
21
the intent of this General Assembly to
create a program to 
22
respond to this problem.
23
    For purposes of this Act, "designated shortage areas" means 
24
medically
underserved areas or health manpower shortage area as 
25
defined by the
United States Department of Health and Human 
26
Services or as otherwise
designated by the Illinois Department 
27
of Public Health.

28
(Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)