HB4554 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 17528 RAS 43602 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB4554

Introduced 1/18/2008, by Rep. Mary E. Flowers

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

225 ILCS 60/9	from Ch. 111, par. 4400-9
225 ILCS 60/21	from Ch. 111, par. 4400-21
225 ILCS 60/24.1

Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. In the Patients' Right to Know Law, requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to make physician profiles available to the public on or before September 1, 2008 (now, there is no implementation date for the requirement). Provides that the rules adopted by the Department under the Law shall include rules related to the submission of required information by physicians under the Law, and conditions initial, renewal, and restoration licensure upon the submission and updating of such required information. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning regulation.

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

Section 5. The Medical Practice Act of 1987 is amended by changing Sections 9, 21, and 24.1 as follows:

(225 ILCS 60/9) (from Ch. 111, par. 4400-9)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2008)

Sec. 9. Application for license. Each applicant for a license shall:

(A) Make application on blank forms prepared and furnished by the Department of Professional Regulation hereinafter referred to as the Department.

(B) Submit evidence satisfactory to the Department that the applicant:

(1) is of good moral character. In determining moral character under this Section, the Department may take into consideration whether the applicant has engaged in conduct or activities which would constitute grounds for discipline under this Act. The Department may also request the applicant to submit, and may consider as evidence of moral character, endorsements from 2 or 3 individuals licensed under this Act;

(2) has the preliminary and professional education required by this Act;

(3) (blank); and

(4) is physically, mentally, and professionally capable of practicing medicine with reasonable judgment, skill, and safety. In determining physical, mental and professional capacity under this Section, the Medical Licensing Board may, upon a showing of a possible incapacity, compel any applicant to submit to a mental or physical examination, or both. The Licensing Board may condition or restrict any license, subject to the same terms and conditions as are provided for the Medical Disciplinary Board under Section 22 of this Act. Any such condition of a restricted license shall provide that the Chief Medical Coordinator or Deputy Medical Coordinator shall have the authority to review the subject physician's compliance with such conditions or restrictions, including, where appropriate, the physician's record of treatment and counseling regarding the impairment, to the extent permitted by applicable federal statutes and regulations safeguarding the confidentiality of medical records of patients.

In determining professional capacity under this Section any individual who has not been actively engaged in the practice of medicine or as a medical, osteopathic, or chiropractic student or who has not been engaged in a formal program of medical education during the 2 years immediately preceding their application may be required to complete such additional testing, training, or remedial education as the Licensing Board may deem necessary in order to establish the applicant's present capacity to practice medicine with reasonable judgment, skill, and safety.

(C) Designate specifically the name, location, and kind of professional school, college, or institution of which the applicant is a graduate and the category under which the applicant seeks, and will undertake, to practice.

(C-5) Submit to the Department all applicable information required under Section 24.1 of this Act, in a form and manner determined by the Department.

(D) Pay to the Department at the time of application the required fees.

(E) Pursuant to Department rules, as required, pass an examination authorized by the Department to determine the applicant's fitness to receive a license.

(F) Complete the application process within 3 years from the date of application. If the process has not been completed within 3 years, the application shall be denied, application fees shall be forfeited, and the applicant must reapply and meet the requirements in effect at the time of reapplication.

(Source: P.A. 89-387, eff. 8-20-95; 89-702, eff. 7-1-97.)

(225 ILCS 60/21) (from Ch. 111, par. 4400-21)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2008)

Sec. 21. License renewal; restoration; inactive status; disposition and collection of fees.

(A) Renewal. The expiration date and renewal period for each license issued under this Act shall be set by rule. The holder of a license may renew the license by paying the required fee and submitting to or updating with the Department all applicable information required under Section 24.1 of this Act, in a form and manner determined by the Department. The holder of a license may also renew the license within 90 days after its expiration by complying with the requirements for renewal and payment of an additional fee. A license renewal within 90 days after expiration shall be effective retroactively to the expiration date.

The Department shall mail to each licensee under this Act, at his or her last known address, at least 60 days in advance of the expiration date of his or her license, a notice of that fact and an application for renewal form. No such license shall be deemed to have lapsed until 90 days after the expiration date and after such notice and application have been mailed by the Department as herein provided.

(B) Restoration. Any licensee who has permitted his or her license to lapse or who has had his or her license on inactive status may have his or her license restored by making application to the Department, submitting to or updating with the Department all applicable information required under Section 24.1 of this Act, in a form and manner determined by the Department, and filing proof acceptable to the Department of his or her fitness to have the license restored, including evidence certifying to active practice in another jurisdiction satisfactory to the Department, proof of meeting the continuing education requirements for one renewal period, and by paying the required restoration fee.

If the licensee has not maintained an active practice in another jurisdiction satisfactory to the Department, the Licensing Board shall determine, by an evaluation program established by rule, the applicant's fitness to resume active status and may require the licensee to complete a period of evaluated clinical experience and may require successful completion of the practical examination.

However, any registrant whose license has expired while he or she has been engaged (a) in Federal Service on active duty with the Army of the United States, the United States Navy, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the Public Health Service or the State Militia called into the service or training of the United States of America, or (b) in training or education under the supervision of the United States preliminary to induction into the military service, may have his or her license reinstated or restored without paying any lapsed renewal fees, if within 2 years after honorable termination of such service, training, or education, he or she furnishes to the Department with satisfactory evidence to the effect that he or she has been so engaged and that his or her service, training, or education has been so terminated.

(C) Inactive licenses. Any licensee who notifies the Department, in writing on forms prescribed by the Department, may elect to place his or her license on an inactive status and shall, subject to rules of the Department, be excused from payment of renewal fees until he or she notifies the Department in writing of his or her desire to resume active status.

Any licensee requesting restoration from inactive status shall be required to pay the current renewal fee, provide proof of meeting the continuing education requirements for the period of time the license is inactive not to exceed one renewal period, and shall be required to restore his or her license as provided in subsection (B).

Any licensee whose license is in an inactive status shall not practice in the State of Illinois.

(D) Disposition of monies collected. All monies collected under this Act by the Department shall be deposited in the Illinois State Medical Disciplinary Fund in the State Treasury, and used only for the following purposes: (a) by the Medical Disciplinary Board in the exercise of its powers and performance of its duties, as such use is made by the Department with full consideration of all recommendations of the Medical Disciplinary Board, (b) for costs directly related to persons licensed under this Act, and (c) for direct and allocable indirect costs related to the public purposes of the Department of Professional Regulation.

Moneys in the Fund may be transferred to the Professions Indirect Cost Fund as authorized under Section 2105-300 of the Department of Professional Regulation Law (20 ILCS 2105/2105-300).

All earnings received from investment of monies in the Illinois State Medical Disciplinary Fund shall be deposited in the Illinois State Medical Disciplinary Fund and shall be used for the same purposes as fees deposited in such Fund.

(E) Fees. The following fees are nonrefundable.

(1) Applicants for any examination shall be required to pay, either to the Department or to the designated testing service, a fee covering the cost of determining the applicant's eligibility and providing the examination. Failure to appear for the examination on the scheduled date, at the time and place specified, after the applicant's application for examination has been received and acknowledged by the Department or the designated testing service, shall result in the forfeiture of the examination fee.

(2) The fee for a license under Section 9 of this Act is $300.

(3) The fee for a license under Section 19 of this Act is $300.

(4) The fee for the renewal of a license for a resident of Illinois shall be calculated at the rate of $100 per year, except for licensees who were issued a license within 12 months of the expiration date of the license, the fee for the renewal shall be $100. The fee for the renewal of a license for a nonresident shall be calculated at the rate of $200 per year, except for licensees who were issued a license within 12 months of the expiration date of the license, the fee for the renewal shall be $200.

(5) The fee for the restoration of a license other than from inactive status, is $100. In addition, payment of all lapsed renewal fees not to exceed $600 is required.

(6) The fee for a 3-year temporary license under Section 17 is $100.

(7) The fee for the issuance of a duplicate license, for the issuance of a replacement license for a license which has been lost or destroyed, or for the issuance of a license with a change of name or address other than during the renewal period is $20. No fee is required for name and address changes on Department records when no duplicate license is issued.

(8) The fee to be paid for a license record for any purpose is $20.

(9) The fee to be paid to have the scoring of an examination, administered by the Department, reviewed and verified, is $20 plus any fees charged by the applicable testing service.

(10) The fee to be paid by a licensee for a wall certificate showing his or her license shall be the actual cost of producing the certificate.

(11) The fee for a roster of persons licensed as physicians in this State shall be the actual cost of producing such a roster.

(F) Any person who delivers a check or other payment to the Department that is returned to the Department unpaid by the financial institution upon which it is drawn shall pay to the Department, in addition to the amount already owed to the Department, a fine of $50. The fines imposed by this Section are in addition to any other discipline provided under this Act for unlicensed practice or practice on a nonrenewed license. The Department shall notify the person that payment of fees and fines shall be paid to the Department by certified check or money order within 30 calendar days of the notification. If, after the expiration of 30 days from the date of the notification, the person has failed to submit the necessary remittance, the Department shall automatically terminate the license or certificate or deny the application, without hearing. If, after termination or denial, the person seeks a license or certificate, he or she shall apply to the Department for restoration or issuance of the license or certificate and pay all fees and fines due to the Department. The Department may establish a fee for the processing of an application for restoration of a license or certificate to pay all expenses of processing this application. The Director may waive the fines due under this Section in individual cases where the Director finds that the fines would be unreasonable or unnecessarily burdensome.

(Source: P.A. 91-239, eff. 1-1-00; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-146, eff. 1-1-02.)

(225 ILCS 60/24.1)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2008)

Sec. 24.1. Physician profile.

(a) This Section may be cited as the Patients' Right to Know Law.

(b) Beginning on or before September 1, 2008, the The Department shall make available to the public a profile of each physician. The Department shall make this information available through an Internet web site and, if requested, in writing. The physician profile shall contain the following information:

(1) the full name of the physician;

(2) a description of any criminal convictions for felonies and Class A misdemeanors, as determined by the Department, within the most recent 5 years. For the purposes of this Section, a person shall be deemed to be convicted of a crime if he or she pleaded guilty or if he was found or adjudged guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction;

(3) a description of any final Department disciplinary actions within the most recent 5 years;

(4) a description of any final disciplinary actions by licensing boards in other states within the most recent 5 years;

(5) a description of revocation or involuntary restriction of hospital privileges for reasons related to competence or character that have been taken by the hospital's governing body or any other official of the hospital after procedural due process has been afforded, or the resignation from or nonrenewal of medical staff membership or the restriction of privileges at a hospital taken in lieu of or in settlement of a pending disciplinary case related to competence or character in that hospital. Only cases which have occurred within the most recent 5 years shall be disclosed by the Department to the public;

(6) all medical malpractice court judgments and all medical malpractice arbitration awards in which a payment was awarded to a complaining party during the most recent 5 years and all settlements of medical malpractice claims in which a payment was made to a complaining party within the most recent 5 years. A medical malpractice judgment or award that has been appealed shall be identified prominently as "Under Appeal" on the profile within 20 days of formal written notice to the Department. Information concerning all settlements shall be accompanied by the following statement: "Settlement of a claim may occur for a variety of reasons which do not necessarily reflect negatively on the professional competence or conduct of the physician. A payment in settlement of a medical malpractice action or claim should not be construed as creating a presumption that medical malpractice has occurred." Nothing in this subdivision (6) shall be construed to limit or prevent the Disciplinary Board from providing further explanatory information regarding the significance of categories in which settlements are reported. Pending malpractice claims shall not be disclosed by the Department to the public. Nothing in this subdivision (6) shall be construed to prevent the Disciplinary Board from investigating and the Department from disciplining a physician on the basis of medical malpractice claims that are pending;

(7) names of medical schools attended, dates of attendance, and date of graduation;

(8) graduate medical education;

(9) specialty board certification. The toll-free number of the American Board of Medical Specialties shall be included to verify current board certification status;

(10) number of years in practice and locations;

(11) names of the hospitals where the physician has privileges;

(12) appointments to medical school faculties and indication as to whether a physician has a responsibility for graduate medical education within the most recent 5 years;

(13) information regarding publications in peer-reviewed medical literature within the most recent 5 years;

(14) information regarding professional or community service activities and awards;

(15) the location of the physician's primary practice setting;

(16) identification of any translating services that may be available at the physician's primary practice location;

(17) an indication of whether the physician participates in the Medicaid program.

(c) The Disciplinary Board shall provide individual physicians with a copy of their profiles prior to release to the public. A physician shall be provided 60 days to correct factual inaccuracies that appear in such profile.

(d) A physician may elect to have his or her profile omit certain information provided pursuant to subdivisions (12) through (14) of subsection (b) concerning academic appointments and teaching responsibilities, publication in peer-reviewed journals and professional and community service awards. In collecting information for such profiles and in disseminating the same, the Disciplinary Board shall inform physicians that they may choose not to provide such information required pursuant to subdivisions (12) through (14) of subsection (b).

(e) The Department shall promulgate such rules as it deems necessary to accomplish the requirements of this Section, including rules related to the submission of required information by physicians under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 94-677, eff. 8-25-05.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.