98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB5656

 

Introduced , by Rep. Timothy L. Schmitz

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
770 ILCS 23/10
770 ILCS 23/15

    Amends the Health Care Services Lien Act. Changes "verdict, judgment, award, settlement, or compromise" to "gross verdict, judgment, award, settlement, or compromise". Provides that "gross verdict, judgment, award, settlement, or compromise" means the total gross amount of a verdict, judgment, award, settlement, or compromise prior to any deductions for attorney fees, costs of litigation, or expenses of any kind that were incurred in pursuing the injured person's claim. Provides that the injured person bringing the claim or cause of action, or his or her attorney, shall notify all health care professionals and health care providers who billed for services related to the injuries involved in the claim or cause of action of their right to perfect a lien under the Act. Provides that the person giving notice shall include with the notice complete information relating to the claim or cause of action for all plaintiffs and all defendants, including, but not limited to, the following: the name and location of the court where the claim or cause of action is pending, the docket number, and a list of the parties and their attorneys. Provides that a lien holder may intervene in the claim or cause of action for the sole purpose of protecting the interest as set forth in the lien. Provides that the injured person, or his or her authorized representative, shall provide written notice to a lien holder when a case is dismissed or a judgment is entered against the injured person.


LRB098 15176 HEP 50918 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5656LRB098 15176 HEP 50918 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Health Care Services Lien Act is amended by
5changing Sections 10 and 15 as follows:
 
6    (770 ILCS 23/10)
7    Sec. 10. Lien created; limitation.
8    (a) Every health care professional and health care provider
9that renders any service in the treatment, care, or maintenance
10of an injured person, except services rendered under the
11provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act or the Workers'
12Occupational Diseases Act, shall have a lien upon all claims
13and causes of action of the injured person for the amount of
14the health care professional's or health care provider's
15reasonable charges up to the date of payment of damages to the
16injured person. The total amount of all liens under this Act,
17however, shall not exceed 40% of the gross verdict, judgment,
18award, settlement, or compromise secured by or on behalf of the
19injured person on his or her claim or right of action. As used
20in this Section, "gross verdict, judgment, award, settlement,
21or compromise" means the total gross amount of a verdict,
22judgment, award, settlement, or compromise prior to any
23deductions for attorney fees, costs of litigation, or expenses

 

 

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1of any kind that were incurred in pursuing the injured person's
2claim.
3    (a-5) The injured person bringing the claim or cause of
4action, or his or her attorney, shall notify all health care
5professionals and health care providers who billed for services
6related to the injuries involved in the claim or cause of
7action of their right to perfect a lien under this Act. The
8person giving notice under this subsection (a-5) shall include
9with the notice complete information relating to the claim or
10cause of action for all plaintiffs and all defendants,
11including, but not limited to, the following: the name and
12location of the court where the claim or cause of action is
13pending, the docket number, and a list of the parties and their
14attorneys. A health care professional or health care provider
15who perfects a lien under subsection (b) of this Section may
16intervene in the claim or cause of action for the sole purpose
17of protecting the interest as set forth in the lien.
18    (b) The lien shall include a written notice containing the
19name and address of the injured person, the date of the injury,
20the name and address of the health care professional or health
21care provider, and the name of the party alleged to be liable
22to make compensation to the injured person for the injuries
23received. The lien notice shall be served on both the injured
24person and the party against whom the claim or right of action
25exists. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act,
26payment in good faith to any person other than the healthcare

 

 

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1professional or healthcare provider claiming or asserting such
2lien prior to the service of such notice of lien shall, to the
3extent of the payment so made, bar or prevent the creation of
4an enforceable lien. Service shall be made by registered or
5certified mail or in person.
6    (c) All health care professionals and health care providers
7holding liens under this Act with respect to a particular
8injured person shall share proportionate amounts within the
9statutory limitation set forth in subsection (a). The statutory
10limitations under this Section may be waived or otherwise
11reduced only by the lienholder. No individual licensed category
12of health care professional (such as physicians) or health care
13provider (such as hospitals) as set forth in Section 5,
14however, may receive more than one-third of the gross verdict,
15judgment, award, settlement, or compromise secured by or on
16behalf of the injured person on his or her claim or right of
17action. If the total amount of all liens under this Act meets
18or exceeds 40% of the gross verdict, judgment, award,
19settlement, or compromise, then:
20        (1) all the liens of health care professionals shall
21    not exceed 20% of the gross verdict, judgment, award,
22    settlement, or compromise; and
23        (2) all the liens of health care providers shall not
24    exceed 20% of the gross verdict, judgment, award,
25    settlement, or compromise;
26provided, however, that health care services liens shall be

 

 

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1satisfied to the extent possible for all health care
2professionals and health care providers by reallocating the
3amount unused within the aggregate total limitation of 40% for
4all health care services liens under this Act; and provided
5further that the amounts of liens under paragraphs (1) and (2)
6are subject to the one-third limitation under this subsection.
7     If the total amount of all liens under this Act meets or
8exceeds 40% of the gross verdict, judgment, award, settlement,
9or compromise, the total amount of all the liens of attorneys
10under the Attorneys Lien Act shall not exceed 30% of the gross
11verdict, judgment, award, settlement, or compromise. If an
12appeal is taken by any party to a suit based on the claim or
13cause of action, however, the attorney's lien shall not be
14affected or limited by the provisions of this Act.
15    (d) If services furnished by health care professionals and
16health care providers are billed at one all-inclusive rate, the
17total reasonable charges for those services shall be reasonably
18allocated among the health care professionals and health care
19providers and treated as separate liens for purposes of this
20Act, including the filing of separate lien notices. For
21services provided under an all-inclusive rate, the liens of
22health care professionals and health care providers may be
23asserted by the entity that bills the all-inclusive rate.
24    (e) Payments under the liens shall be made directly to the
25health care professionals and health care providers. For
26services provided under an all-inclusive rate, payments under

 

 

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1liens shall be made directly to the entity that bills the
2all-inclusive rate.
3(Source: P.A. 93-51, eff. 7-1-03.)
 
4    (770 ILCS 23/15)
5    Sec. 15. Notice of judgment or award or dismissal.
6    (a) A judgment, award, settlement, or compromise secured by
7or on behalf of an injured person may not be satisfied without
8the injured person or his or her authorized representative
9first giving notice of the judgment, award, settlement, or
10compromise to the health care professional or health care
11provider that rendered a service in the treatment, care, or
12maintenance of the injured person and that has served a lien
13notice pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 10. The notice
14shall be in writing and served upon the lien holder or, in the
15case of a lien holder operated entirely by a unit of local
16government, upon the individual or entity authorized to receive
17service under Section 2-211 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
18    (b) The injured person, or his or her authorized
19representative, shall provide written notice to a lien holder
20when a case is dismissed or a judgment is entered against the
21injured person. The injured person, or his or her
22representative, shall serve the notice on the lien holder in
23the same manner as the notice under subsection (a) of this
24Section.
25(Source: P.A. 93-51, eff. 7-1-03.)