102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB2978

 

Introduced 1/5/2022, by Sen. Karina Villa

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
410 ILCS 50/2.01  from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5402.01
410 ILCS 50/3  from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403
410 ILCS 50/3.1  from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.1
410 ILCS 50/5
410 ILCS 50/5.1

    Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Provides that each patient has the right to: (1) receive current health care facility policies, inspection findings of State and local health authorities, and further explanation of a written statement of rights to be available to the patient, his or her guardian, or his or her chosen representative; (2) be treated with courtesy and respect for his or her individuality by employees or persons providing medical services or care and to have his or her human and civil rights maintained in all aspects of medical care; (3) have his or her basic human needs accommodated in a timely manner; (4) continuity and coordination of care among and between all disciplines serving the patient's medical diagnoses and needs; (5) be told the identity of his or her health care provider upon request; (6) be provided, digitally or in writing, current information concerning the patient's diagnosis, treatment, alternatives, risks, and prognosis upon request; and (7) be informed, prior to or at the time of admission and during his or her stay, of services that are included in the health care facility's basic per diem or daily room rate and that other services are available at additional charge. Provides that hospitals' patient advocates or ombudsmen shall be notified of patient grievances. Provides that a health care facility shall make every effort to assist patients in obtaining information regarding whether the Medicare or Medical Assistance program will pay for any or all of the services provided by the health care facility. Provides that hospitals shall have a written internal grievance procedure that conforms with specified requirements. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.


LRB102 22997 CPF 32151 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2978LRB102 22997 CPF 32151 b

1    AN ACT concerning health.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Medical Patient Rights Act is amended by
5changing Sections 2.01, 3, 3.1, 5, and 5.1 as follows:
 
6    (410 ILCS 50/2.01)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5402.01)
7    Sec. 2.01. "Patient" means any person who has received or
8is receiving medical care, treatment, or services from an
9individual or institution licensed to provide medical care or
10treatment in this State. The medical care or treatment
11includes, but is not limited to, medical care or treatment for
12the purpose of diagnosis or treatment bearing on the physical
13or mental health of the patient, whether as an inpatient or
14outpatient.
15(Source: P.A. 81-1167.)
 
16    (410 ILCS 50/3)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403)
17    Sec. 3. The following rights are hereby established:
18        (a) The right of each patient to care consistent with
19    sound nursing and medical practices, to be informed of the
20    name, specialty, and contact information of the physician
21    responsible for coordinating his or her care, to be
22    informed of how to reach the health care facility's

 

 

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1    administrator, outside advocate, interpreter, and legal
2    services, to receive information concerning his or her
3    condition and proposed treatment, to refuse any treatment
4    to the extent permitted by law, and to privacy and
5    confidentiality of records except as otherwise provided by
6    law. Current health care facility policies, inspection
7    findings of State and local health authorities, and
8    further explanation of the written statement of rights
9    under Section 5 shall be available to each patient, his or
10    her guardian, or his or her chosen representative upon
11    reasonable request to the administrator or other
12    designated staff person consistent with Illinois law.
13        (a-5) The right of each patient to be treated with
14    courtesy and respect for his or her individuality by
15    employees or persons providing medical services or care
16    and to have his or her human and civil rights maintained in
17    all aspects of medical care. The employees and persons
18    shall have up-to-date certification, licensure, and
19    training pursuant to Illinois law. Each patient shall have
20    his or her basic human needs, including, but not limited
21    to, water, food, medication, toileting, and personal
22    hygiene, accommodated in a timely manner.
23        (a-10) The right of each patient to continuity and
24    coordination of care among and between all disciplines
25    serving the patient's medical diagnoses and needs.
26        (a-15) A patient who receives services from an outside

 

 

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1    health care provider is entitled, upon request, to be told
2    the identity of the health care provider. This information
3    shall include the name and address of the outside health
4    care provider and a description of any service that may be
5    rendered. In cases where it is medically advisable, as
6    documented by the attending physician in a patient's care
7    record, the information shall be given to the patient's
8    guardian or other person designated by the patient as his
9    or her representative.
10        (b) The right of each patient, regardless of source of
11    payment, to examine and receive a reasonable explanation
12    of his total bill for services rendered by his physician
13    or health care provider, including the itemized charges
14    for specific services received. Each physician or health
15    care provider shall be responsible only for a reasonable
16    explanation of those specific services provided by such
17    physician or health care provider.
18        (c) In the event an insurance company or health
19    services corporation cancels or refuses to renew an
20    individual policy or plan, the insured patient shall be
21    entitled to timely, prior notice of the termination of
22    such policy or plan.
23        An insurance company or health services corporation
24    that requires any insured patient or applicant for new or
25    continued insurance or coverage to be tested for infection
26    with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or any other

 

 

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1    identified causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency
2    syndrome (AIDS) shall (1) give the patient or applicant
3    prior written notice of such requirement, (2) proceed with
4    such testing only upon the written authorization of the
5    applicant or patient, and (3) keep the results of such
6    testing confidential. Notice of an adverse underwriting or
7    coverage decision may be given to any appropriately
8    interested party, but the insurer may only disclose the
9    test result itself to a physician designated by the
10    applicant or patient, and any such disclosure shall be in
11    a manner that assures confidentiality.
12        The Department of Insurance shall enforce the
13    provisions of this subsection.
14        (d) The right of each patient to privacy and
15    confidentiality in health care. Each physician, health
16    care provider, health services corporation, and insurance
17    company shall provide a patient or his or her legal
18    designee, digitally or in writing, current information
19    concerning the patient's diagnosis, treatment,
20    alternatives, risks, and prognosis upon request. Each
21    physician, health care provider, health services
22    corporation, and insurance company shall refrain from
23    disclosing the nature or details of services provided to
24    patients, except that such information may be disclosed:
25    (1) to the patient, (2) to the party making treatment
26    decisions if the patient is incapable of making decisions

 

 

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1    regarding the health services provided, (3) for treatment
2    in accordance with 45 CFR 164.501 and 164.506, (4) for
3    payment in accordance with 45 CFR 164.501 and 164.506, (5)
4    to those parties responsible for peer review, utilization
5    review, and quality assurance, (6) for health care
6    operations in accordance with 45 CFR 164.501 and 164.506,
7    (7) to those parties required to be notified under the
8    Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act or the Illinois
9    Sexually Transmissible Disease Control Act, or (8) as
10    otherwise permitted, authorized, or required by State or
11    federal law. This right may be waived in writing by the
12    patient or the patient's guardian or legal representative,
13    but a physician or other health care provider may not
14    condition the provision of services on the patient's,
15    guardian's, or legal representative's agreement to sign
16    such a waiver. In the interest of public health, safety,
17    and welfare, patient information, including, but not
18    limited to, health information, demographic information,
19    and information about the services provided to patients,
20    may be transmitted to or through a health information
21    exchange, as that term is defined in Section 2 of the
22    Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
23    Confidentiality Act, in accordance with the disclosures
24    permitted pursuant to this Section. Patients shall be
25    provided the opportunity to opt out of their health
26    information being transmitted either digitally or in

 

 

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1    writing to or through a health information exchange in
2    accordance with the regulations, standards, or contractual
3    obligations adopted by the Illinois Health Information
4    Exchange Office in accordance with Section 9.6 of the
5    Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
6    Confidentiality Act, Section 9.6 of the AIDS
7    Confidentiality Act, or Section 31.8 of the Genetic
8    Information Privacy Act, as applicable. A patient shall
9    not be denied access to care if he or she chooses to opt
10    out of the sharing of such information. In the case of a
11    patient choosing to opt out of having his or her
12    information available on an HIE, nothing in this Act shall
13    cause the physician or health care provider to be liable
14    for the release of a patient's health information by other
15    entities that may possess such information, including, but
16    not limited to, other health professionals, providers,
17    laboratories, pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgical
18    centers, and nursing homes.
19(Source: P.A. 101-649, eff. 7-7-20.)
 
20    (410 ILCS 50/3.1)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.1)
21    Sec. 3.1. (a) Any patient who is the subject of a research
22program or an experimental procedure, as defined under the
23rules and regulations of the Hospital Licensing Act, shall
24have, at a minimum, the right to receive an explanation of the
25nature and possible consequences of such research or

 

 

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1experiment before the research or experiment is conducted, and
2to consent to or reject it.
3    (b) No physician or health care provider may conduct any
4research program or experimental procedure on a patient
5without the prior informed consent of the patient in writing
6or digitally or, if the patient is unable to consent, the
7patient's guardian, spouse, parent, or authorized agent. Both
8the consent and the refusal shall be documented in the
9patient's care record.
10    (c) This Section shall not apply to any research program
11or medical experimental procedure for patients subject to a
12life-threatening emergency that is conducted in accordance
13with Part 50 of Title 21 of, and Part 46 of Title 45 of, the
14Code of Federal Regulations.
15(Source: P.A. 90-36, eff. 6-27-97.)
 
16    (410 ILCS 50/5)
17    Sec. 5. Statement of hospital patient's rights.
18    (a) Each patient admitted to a hospital, and the guardian
19or authorized representative or parent of a minor patient,
20shall be given a written statement of all the rights
21enumerated in this Act, including the rights listed under
22Section 3, or a similar statement of patients' rights required
23of the hospital by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of
24Healthcare Organizations or a similar accrediting
25organization. The statement shall be given at the time of

 

 

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1admission or as soon thereafter as the condition of the
2patient permits. If a patient is provided with a digital copy
3of the statement, the patient may request and shall be
4provided with a readily available paper copy.
5    (b) If a patient is unable to read the written statement, a
6hospital shall make a reasonable effort to provide it to the
7guardian or authorized representative of the patient.
8    (c) The statement shall also include the right not to be
9discriminated against by the hospital due to the patient's
10race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual
11orientation, color, or national origin where such
12characteristics are not relevant to the patient's medical
13diagnosis and treatment. The statement shall further provide
14each admitted patient or the patient's representative or
15guardian with notice of how to initiate a grievance regarding
16improper discrimination and how to recommend changes in
17policies and services to hospital or health care facility
18staff and others of the patient's choice, free from restraint,
19interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal, with the
20hospital and how the patient may lodge a grievance with the
21Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois
22Department of Human Rights regardless of whether the patient
23has first used the hospital's grievance process.
24    (d) Each patient shall be informed, prior to or at the time
25of admission and during his or her stay, of services that are
26included in the health care facility's basic per diem or daily

 

 

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1room rate and that other services are available at an
2additional charge, if applicable. A health care facility shall
3make every effort to assist patients in obtaining information
4regarding whether the Medicare or Medical Assistance program
5will pay for any or all of the services provided.
6(Source: P.A. 97-485, eff. 8-22-11.)
 
7    (410 ILCS 50/5.1)
8    Sec. 5.1. Discrimination grievance procedures. Upon
9receipt of a grievance alleging unlawful discrimination on the
10basis of race, color, or national origin, ethnicity, gender
11identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation the
12hospital must investigate the claim and work with the patient
13to address valid or proven concerns in accordance with the
14hospital's grievance process. The hospital's patient advocate
15or ombudsman shall be notified of the grievance. The hospital
16shall have a written internal grievance procedure that, at a
17minimum, sets forth the process to be followed, specifies time
18limits, including time limits for health care facility
19response, provides for the patient to have the assistance of
20an advocate, requires a written response to written
21grievances, and provides for a timely decision by an impartial
22decision maker if the grievance is not otherwise resolved. At
23the conclusion of the hospital's grievance process, the
24hospital shall inform the patient that such grievances may be
25reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health if not

 

 

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1resolved to the patient's satisfaction at the hospital level.
2(Source: P.A. 97-485, eff. 8-22-11.)
 
3    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
4becoming law.