Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB4999

Creates the Hospital Fair Billing and Collection Practices Act. Requires a hospital's governing body to adopt policies: (i) prohibiting abusive, harassing, oppressive, false, deceptive, or misleading language or collection conduct by any collection agency or attorney retained by the hospital for the collection of medical debt, any agent or employee of a collection agency or attorney, or any hospital employee who participates in the collection of medical debt from patients; (ii) establishing the procedures to be utilized by every collection agency retained by the hospital for the collection of medical debt; (iii) establishing the procedures to be utilized by the hospital's employees who participate in the collection of debt; and (iv) establishing procedures for ensuring the timely and accurate submission of claims to third party payors. Prohibits a hospital from selling any debt owed to it by a patient for medical or hospital services, except to a collection agency. Establishes required billing practices for a hospital. Requires a hospital to enter into a written contract with any collection agency or attorney that it retains to collect medical debts from patients and outlines the contract requirements. Provides for civil penalties and injunctive relief. Preempts home rule. Creates the Hospital Fair Billing and Collection Practices Act Enforcement Fund. Provides that the monies in the Fund shall be used by the Attorney General for the enforcement of the Act. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Hospital Fair Billing and Collection Practices Act Enforcement Fund. Amends the University of Illinois Hospital Act to make the collection of hospital service charges by the University subject to the Hospital Fair Billing and Collection Practices Act. Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that the Director may deny, suspend, or revoke a hospital's license for failure to comply with the provisions of the Hospital Fair Billing and Collection Practices Act. Effective January 1, 2007.

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Fair Patient Billing Act. Requires hospitals to post the specified sign giving patients notice that they may be eligible for financial assistance and the contact information for the hospital financial assistance representative. Lists information that must be contained in any bill a hospital sends a patient for health care services. Establishes a billing inquiry process that hospitals must implement. Provides conditions that must be met before a hospital may pursue a collection action against a patient. Lists patient responsibilities that must be done for a patient to receive the protection and benefits of the Act. Provides for notification that must be given to insured patients concerning out-of-network providers. Provides for enforcement of the Act and civil penalties. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2007.

Date	Chamber	Action
6/20/2006	House	Public Act . . . . . . . . . 94-0885

Date	Chamber	Action
1/23/2006	House	Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Karen May
1/23/2006	House	First Reading
1/23/2006	House	Referred to Rules Committee
1/24/2006	House	Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary E. Flowers
1/24/2006	House	Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. George Scully, Jr.
1/24/2006	House	Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Cynthia Soto
1/25/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kathleen A. Ryg
1/25/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Karen A. Yarbrough
1/25/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Arthur L. Turner
1/25/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Harry Osterman
1/25/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie
1/25/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Elaine Nekritz
1/25/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Sara Feigenholtz
1/25/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. William Davis
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Marlow H. Colvin
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Deborah L. Graham
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Daniel J. Burke
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Constance A. Howard
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack McGuire
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kenneth Dunkin
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Patrick J Verschoore
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Esther Golar
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Julie Hamos
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Larry McKeon
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Joseph M. Lyons
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Maria Antonia Berrios
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michelle Chavez
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Robert Rita
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Robin Kelly
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Annazette Collins
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. John D'Amico
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Susana A Mendoza
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Eddie Washington
1/26/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Calvin L. Giles
1/31/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Wyvetter H. Younge
1/31/2006	House	Assigned to Health Care Availability and Access Committee
2/7/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Milton Patterson
2/7/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. David E. Miller
2/7/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Charles E. Jefferson
2/7/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lovana Jones
2/7/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Monique D. Davis
2/7/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. William Delgado
2/14/2006	House	Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Sara Feigenholtz
2/14/2006	House	Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Robert Rita
2/14/2006	House	Do Pass / Standard Debate Health Care Availability and Access Committee; 006-005-000
2/14/2006	House	Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Standard Debate
2/15/2006	House	Fiscal Note Requested by Rep. JoAnn D. Osmond
2/15/2006	House	State Mandates Fiscal Note Requested by Rep. JoAnn D. Osmond
2/15/2006	House	Home Rule Note Requested by Rep. JoAnn D. Osmond
2/15/2006	House	Judicial Note Requested by Rep. JoAnn D. Osmond
2/15/2006	House	Pension Note Requested by Rep. JoAnn D. Osmond
2/16/2006	House	Judicial Note Filed
2/21/2006	House	Pension Note Filed
2/22/2006	House	State Mandates Fiscal Note Filed
2/22/2006	House	Home Rule Note Filed
2/23/2006	House	Fiscal Note Filed
2/24/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kurt M. Granberg
2/28/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Gary Hannig
2/28/2006	House	Second Reading - Standard Debate
2/28/2006	House	Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Standard Debate
3/1/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Karen May
3/1/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee
3/1/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Karen May
3/1/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee
3/1/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 3 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Karen May
3/1/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 3 Referred to Rules Committee
3/2/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 3 Rules Refers to Health Care Availability and Access Committee
3/2/2006	House	Home Rule Note Filed As Amended by HA 3
3/2/2006	House	State Mandates Fiscal Note Filed As Amended by HA 3
3/2/2006	House	Judicial Note Filed As Amended by HA 3
3/2/2006	House	Fiscal Note Filed As Amended by HA 3
3/2/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 3 Recommends Be Adopted Health Care Availability and Access Committee; 010-000-000
3/3/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 3 Adopted by Voice Vote
3/3/2006	House	Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
3/3/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kevin A. McCarthy
3/3/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Richard T. Bradley
3/3/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jack D. Franks
3/3/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Robert Rita
3/3/2006	House	Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe
3/3/2006	House	Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 113-000-001
3/3/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 1 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 40(a)
3/3/2006	House	House Floor Amendment No. 2 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 40(a)
3/7/2006	Senate	Arrive in Senate
3/7/2006	Senate	Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading
3/7/2006	Senate	Pension Note Filed as amended by House Amendment No. 3, from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
3/7/2006	Senate	Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Kwame Raoul
3/7/2006	Senate	Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
3/7/2006	Senate	First Reading
3/7/2006	Senate	Referred to Rules
3/8/2006	Senate	Assigned to Health & Human Services
3/14/2006	Senate	Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Iris Y. Martinez
3/15/2006	Senate	Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. M. Maggie Crotty
3/15/2006	Senate	Do Pass Health & Human Services; 011-000-000
3/15/2006	Senate	Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading March 16, 2006
3/16/2006	Senate	Second Reading
3/16/2006	Senate	Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading March 22, 2006
3/27/2006	Senate	Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Mattie Hunter
3/27/2006	Senate	Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Donne E. Trotter
3/27/2006	Senate	Third Reading - Passed; 050-000-000
3/27/2006	House	Passed Both Houses
4/25/2006	House	Sent to the Governor
6/20/2006	House	Governor Approved
6/20/2006	House	Effective Date January 1, 2007
6/20/2006	House	Public Act . . . . . . . . . 94-0885

	Judicial Note (Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts)
	Would neither increase nor decrease the number of judges needed in the state.

	Pension Note (Commission on Gov't Forecasting and Accountability)
	HB 4999 would not impact any public pension fund or retirement system in Illinois.

	State Mandates Fiscal Note (Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity)
	In the opinion of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, HB 4999 creates a local government organization and structure mandate for which reimbursement of the increased costs to units of local government is not required under the State Mandates Act.

	Home Rule Note (Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity)
	In the opinion of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, HB 4999 pre-empts home rule authority.

	Fiscal Note (Office of the Attorney General)
	Will increase the operating costs of the Office of the Attorney General, but at the current time there are no estimates of the total fiscal impact. However, the legislation contains provisions to create a dedicated fund, subject to appropriation, to offset the costs of administration and enforcement of the Act.

	Home Rule Note (H-AM 3)(Dept of Commerce and Economic Opportunity)
	In the opinion of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, HB 4999 (H-AM 3) pre-empts home rule authority.

	State Mandates Fiscal Note (H-AM 3)(Dept of Commerce and Economic Opportunity)
	In the opinion of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, House Bill 4999 (H-AM 3) creates a service mandate for which reimbursement of 50%-100% of the increased costs to units of local government is required under the State Mandates Act.

	Judicial Note (H-AM 3) (Admin. Office of the Illinois Courts)
	Would neither increase nor decrease the number of judges needed in the state.

	Fiscal Note (H-AM 3) (Office of the Attorney General)
	No fiscal impact.

	Pension Note (H-AM 3) (Com. on Gov. Forecasting & Accountability)
	Would not impact any public pension fund or retirement system in Illinois.

	Deletes reference to:
	30 ILCS 105/5.663 new