(325 ILCS 20/2) (from Ch. 23, par. 4152) (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026) Sec. 2. Legislative findings and policy. (a) The General Assembly finds that there is an urgent and substantial need to: (1) enhance the development of all eligible infants |
| and toddlers in the State of Illinois in order to minimize developmental delay and maximize individual potential for adult independence;
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(2) enhance the capacity of families to meet the
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| special needs of eligible infants and toddlers including the purchase of services when necessary;
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(3) reduce educational costs by minimizing the need
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| for special education and related services when eligible infants and toddlers reach school age;
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(4) enhance the independence, productivity and
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| integration with age-appropriate peers of eligible children and their families;
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(5) reduce social services costs and minimize the
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| need for institutionalization; and
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(6) prevent secondary impairments and disabilities by
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| improving the health of infants and toddlers, thereby reducing health costs for the families and the State.
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(b) The General Assembly therefore intends that the policy of this State shall be to:
(1) affirm the importance of the family in all areas
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| of the child's development and reinforce the role of the family as a participant in the decision making processes regarding their child;
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(2) provide assistance and support to eligible
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| infants and toddlers and their families to address the individual concerns and decisions of each family;
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(3) develop and implement, on a statewide basis,
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| locally based comprehensive, coordinated, interdisciplinary, interagency early intervention services for all eligible infants and toddlers;
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(4) enhance the local communities' capacity to
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| provide an array of quality early intervention services;
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(5) identify and coordinate all available resources
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| for early intervention within the State including those from federal, State, local and private sources;
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(6) provide financial and technical assistance to
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| local communities for the purposes of coordinating early intervention services in local communities and enhancing the communities' capacity to provide individualized early intervention services to all eligible infants and toddlers in their homes or in community environments; and
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(7) affirm that eligible infants and toddlers have a
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| right to receive early intervention services to the maximum extent appropriate, in natural environments in which infants and toddlers without disabilities would participate.
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(c) The General Assembly further finds that early intervention services are cost-effective and effectively serve the developmental needs of eligible infants and toddlers and their families. Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to provide a comprehensive, coordinated, interagency, interdisciplinary early intervention services system for eligible infants and toddlers and their families by enhancing the capacity to provide quality early intervention services, expanding and improving existing services, and facilitating coordination of payments for early intervention services from various public and private sources.
(Source: P.A. 91-538, eff. 8-13-99 .)
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(325 ILCS 20/3) (from Ch. 23, par. 4153)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026)
Sec. 3. Definitions. As used in this Act:
(a) "Eligible infants and toddlers" means infants and toddlers
under 36 months of age with any of the following conditions:
(1) Developmental delays.
(2) A physical or mental condition which typically |
| results in developmental delay.
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(3) Being at risk of having substantial developmental
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| delays based on informed clinical opinion.
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(4) Either (A) having entered the program under any
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| of the circumstances listed in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subsection but no longer meeting the current eligibility criteria under those paragraphs, and continuing to have any measurable delay, or (B) not having attained a level of development in each area, including (i) cognitive, (ii) physical (including vision and hearing), (iii) language, speech, and communication, (iv) social or emotional, or (v) adaptive, that is at least at the mean of the child's age equivalent peers; and, in addition to either item (A) or item (B), (C) having been determined by the multidisciplinary individualized family service plan team to require the continuation of early intervention services in order to support continuing developmental progress, pursuant to the child's needs and provided in an appropriate developmental manner. The type, frequency, and intensity of services shall differ from the initial individualized family services plan because of the child's developmental progress, and may consist of only service coordination, evaluation, and assessments.
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"Eligible infants and toddlers" includes any child under the age of 3 who is the subject of a substantiated case of child abuse or neglect as defined in the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.
(b) "Developmental delay" means a delay in one or more of the following
areas of childhood development as measured by appropriate diagnostic
instruments and standard procedures: cognitive; physical, including vision
and hearing; language, speech and communication; social or emotional;
or adaptive. The term means a delay of 30% or more below the mean in
function in one or more of those areas.
(c) "Physical or mental condition which typically results in developmental
delay" means:
(1) a diagnosed medical disorder or exposure to a
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| toxic substance bearing a relatively well known expectancy for developmental outcomes within varying ranges of developmental disabilities; or
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(2) a history of prenatal, perinatal, neonatal or
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| early developmental events suggestive of biological insults to the developing central nervous system and which either singly or collectively increase the probability of developing a disability or delay based on a medical history.
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(d) "Informed clinical opinion" means both clinical observations and
parental participation to determine eligibility by a consensus of a
multidisciplinary team of 2 or more members based on their professional
experience and expertise.
(e) "Early intervention services" means services which:
(1) are designed to meet the developmental needs of
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| each child eligible under this Act and the needs of his or her family;
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(2) are selected in collaboration with the child's
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(3) are provided under public supervision;
(4) are provided at no cost except where a schedule
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| of sliding scale fees or other system of payments by families has been adopted in accordance with State and federal law;
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(5) are designed to meet an infant's or toddler's
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| developmental needs in any of the following areas:
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(A) physical development, including vision and
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(B) cognitive development,
(C) communication development,
(D) social or emotional development, or
(E) adaptive development;
(6) meet the standards of the State, including the
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| requirements of this Act;
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(7) include one or more of the following:
(A) family training,
(B) social work services, including counseling,
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(C) special instruction,
(D) speech, language pathology and audiology,
(E) occupational therapy,
(F) physical therapy,
(G) psychological services,
(H) service coordination services,
(I) medical services only for diagnostic or
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(J) early identification, screening, and
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(K) health services specified by the lead agency
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| as necessary to enable the infant or toddler to benefit from the other early intervention services,
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(L) vision services,
(M) transportation,
(N) assistive technology devices and services,
(O) nursing services,
(P) nutrition services, and
(Q) sign language and cued language services;
(8) are provided by qualified personnel, including
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(A) child development specialists or special
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| educators, including teachers of children with hearing impairments (including deafness) and teachers of children with vision impairments (including blindness),
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(B) speech and language pathologists and
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(C) occupational therapists,
(D) physical therapists,
(E) social workers,
(F) nurses,
(G) dietitian nutritionists,
(H) vision specialists, including
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| ophthalmologists and optometrists,
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(I) psychologists, and
(J) physicians;
(9) are provided in conformity with an Individualized
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(10) are provided throughout the year; and
(11) are provided in natural environments, to the
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| maximum extent appropriate, which may include the home and community settings, unless justification is provided consistent with federal regulations adopted under Sections 1431 through 1444 of Title 20 of the United States Code.
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(f) "Individualized Family Service Plan" or "Plan" means a written plan for
providing early intervention services to a child eligible under this Act
and the child's family, as set forth in Section 11.
(g) "Local interagency agreement" means an agreement entered into by
local community and State and regional agencies receiving early
intervention funds directly from the State and made in accordance with
State interagency agreements providing for the delivery of early
intervention services within a local community area.
(h) "Council" means the Illinois Interagency Council on Early
Intervention established under Section 4.
(i) "Lead agency" means the State agency
responsible for administering this Act and
receiving and disbursing public funds received in accordance with State and
federal law and rules.
(i-5) "Central billing office" means the central billing office created by
the lead agency under Section 13.
(j) "Child find" means a service which identifies eligible infants and
toddlers.
(k) "Regional intake entity" means the lead agency's designated entity
responsible for implementation of the Early Intervention Services System within
its designated geographic area.
(l) "Early intervention provider" means an individual who is qualified, as
defined by the lead agency, to provide one or more types of early intervention
services, and who has enrolled as a provider in the early intervention program.
(m) "Fully credentialed early intervention provider" means an individual who
has met the standards in the State applicable to the relevant
profession, and has met such other qualifications as the lead agency has
determined are suitable for personnel providing early intervention services,
including pediatric experience, education, and continuing education. The lead
agency shall establish these qualifications by rule filed no later than 180
days
after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly.
(n) "Telehealth" has the meaning given to that term in Section 5 of the Telehealth Act.
(Source: P.A. 101-10, eff. 6-5-19; 102-104, eff. 7-22-21; 102-926, eff. 5-27-22 .)
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(325 ILCS 20/4) (from Ch. 23, par. 4154) (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026) Sec. 4. Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention. (a) There is established the Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention. The Council shall be composed of at least 20 but not more than 30 members. The members of the Council and the designated chairperson of the Council shall be appointed by the Governor. The Council member representing the lead agency may not serve as chairperson of the Council. The Council shall be composed of the following members: (1) The Secretary of Human Services (or his or her |
| designee) and 2 additional representatives of the Department of Human Services designated by the Secretary, plus the Directors (or their designees) of the following State agencies involved in the provision of or payment for early intervention services to eligible infants and toddlers and their families:
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(A) Department of Insurance; and
(B) Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
(2) Other members as follows:
(A) At least 20% of the members of the Council
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| shall be parents, including minority parents, of infants or toddlers with disabilities or children with disabilities aged 12 or younger, with knowledge of, or experience with, programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities. At least one such member shall be a parent of an infant or toddler with a disability or a child with a disability aged 6 or younger;
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(B) At least 20% of the members of the Council
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| shall be public or private providers of early intervention services;
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(C) One member shall be a representative of the
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(D) One member shall be involved in the
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| preparation of professional personnel to serve infants and toddlers similar to those eligible for services under this Act;
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(E) Two members shall be from advocacy
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| organizations with expertise in improving health, development, and educational outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities;
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(F) One member shall be a Child and Family
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| Connections manager from a rural district;
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(G) One member shall be a Child and Family
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| Connections manager from an urban district;
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(H) One member shall be the co-chair of the
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| Illinois Early Learning Council (or his or her designee); and
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(I) Members representing the following agencies
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| or entities: the State Board of Education; the Department of Public Health; the Department of Children and Family Services; the University of Illinois Division of Specialized Care for Children; the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities; Head Start or Early Head Start; and the Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health. A member may represent one or more of the listed agencies or entities.
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The Council shall meet at least quarterly and in such places as it deems necessary. Terms of the initial members appointed under paragraph (2) shall be determined by lot at the first Council meeting as follows: of the persons appointed under subparagraphs (A) and (B), one-third shall serve one year terms, one-third shall serve 2 year terms, and one-third shall serve 3 year terms; and of the persons appointed under subparagraphs (C) and (D), one shall serve a 2 year term and one shall serve a 3 year term. Thereafter, successors appointed under paragraph (2) shall serve 3 year terms. Once appointed, members shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed. No member shall be appointed to serve more than 2 consecutive terms.
Council members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable costs incurred in the performance of their duties, including costs related to child care, and parents may be paid a stipend in accordance with applicable requirements.
The Council shall prepare and approve a budget using funds appropriated for the purpose to hire staff, and obtain the services of such professional, technical, and clerical personnel as may be necessary to carry out its functions under this Act. This funding support and staff shall be directed by the lead agency.
(b) The Council shall:
(1) advise and assist the lead agency in the
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| performance of its responsibilities including but not limited to the identification of sources of fiscal and other support services for early intervention programs, and the promotion of interagency agreements which assign financial responsibility to the appropriate agencies;
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(2) advise and assist the lead agency in the
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| preparation of applications and amendments to applications;
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(3) review and advise on relevant regulations and
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| standards proposed by the related State agencies;
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(4) advise and assist the lead agency in the
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| development, implementation and evaluation of the comprehensive early intervention services system;
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(4.5) coordinate and collaborate with State
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| interagency early learning initiatives, as appropriate; and
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(5) prepare and submit an annual report to the
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| Governor and to the General Assembly on the status of early intervention programs for eligible infants and toddlers and their families in Illinois. The annual report shall include (i) the estimated number of eligible infants and toddlers in this State, (ii) the number of eligible infants and toddlers who have received services under this Act and the cost of providing those services, and (iii) the estimated cost of providing services under this Act to all eligible infants and toddlers in this State. The report shall be posted by the lead agency on the early intervention website as required under paragraph (f) of Section 5 of this Act.
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No member of the Council shall cast a vote on or participate substantially in any matter which would provide a direct financial benefit to that member or otherwise give the appearance of a conflict of interest under State law. All provisions and reporting requirements of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act shall apply to Council members.
(Source: P.A. 97-902, eff. 8-6-12; 98-41, eff. 6-28-13 .)
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(325 ILCS 20/5) (from Ch. 23, par. 4155) (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026) Sec. 5. Lead Agency. The Department of Human Services is designated the lead agency and shall provide leadership in establishing and implementing the coordinated, comprehensive, interagency and interdisciplinary system of early intervention services. The lead agency shall not have the sole responsibility for providing these services. Each participating State agency shall continue to coordinate those early intervention services relating to health, social service and education provided under this authority. The lead agency is responsible for carrying out the following: (a) The general administration, supervision, and |
| monitoring of programs and activities receiving assistance under Section 673 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 United States Code 1473).
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(b) The identification and coordination of all
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| available resources within the State from federal, State, local and private sources.
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(c) The development of procedures to ensure that
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| services are provided to eligible infants and toddlers and their families in a timely manner pending the resolution of any disputes among public agencies or service providers.
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(d) The resolution of intra-agency and interagency
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| regulatory and procedural disputes.
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(e) The development and implementation of formal
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| interagency agreements, and the entry into such agreements, between the lead agency and (i) the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, (ii) the University of Illinois Division of Specialized Care for Children, and (iii) other relevant State agencies that:
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(1) define the financial responsibility of each
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| agency for paying for early intervention services (consistent with existing State and federal law and rules, including the requirement that early intervention funds be used as the payor of last resort), a hierarchical order of payment as among the agencies for early intervention services that are covered under or may be paid by programs in other agencies, and procedures for direct billing, collecting reimbursements for payments made, and resolving service and payment disputes; and
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(2) include all additional components necessary
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| to ensure meaningful cooperation and coordination.
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Interagency agreements under this paragraph (e) must
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| be reviewed and revised to implement the purposes of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly no later than 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly.
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(f) The maintenance of an early intervention website.
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| Within 30 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, the lead agency shall post and keep posted on this website the following: (i) the current annual report required under subdivision (b)(5) of Section 4 of this Act, and the annual reports of the prior 3 years, (ii) the most recent Illinois application for funds prepared under Section 637 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act filed with the United States Department of Education, (iii) proposed modifications of the application prepared for public comment, (iv) notice of Council meetings, Council agendas, and minutes of its proceedings for at least the previous year, (v) proposed and final early intervention rules, (vi) requests for proposals, and (vii) all reports created for dissemination to the public that are related to the early intervention program, including reports prepared at the request of the Council and the General Assembly. Each such document shall be posted on the website within 3 working days after the document's completion.
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(g) Before adopting any new policy or procedure
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| (including any revisions to an existing policy or procedure) needed to comply with Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the lead agency must hold public hearings on the new policy or procedure, provide notice of the hearings at least 30 days before the hearings are conducted to enable public participation, and provide an opportunity for the general public, including individuals with disabilities and parents of infants and toddlers with disabilities, early intervention providers, and members of the Council to comment for at least 30 days on the new policy or procedure needed to comply with Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and with 34 CFR Part 300 and Part 303.
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(Source: P.A. 98-41, eff. 6-28-13; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14 .)
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(325 ILCS 20/7) (from Ch. 23, par. 4157) (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026) Sec. 7. Essential Components of the Statewide Service System. As required by federal laws and regulations, a statewide system of coordinated, comprehensive, interagency and interdisciplinary programs shall be established and maintained. The framework of the statewide system shall be based on the components set forth in this Section. This framework shall be used for planning, implementation, coordination and evaluation of the statewide system of locally based early intervention services. The statewide system shall include, at a minimum: (a) a definition of the term "developmentally |
| delayed", in accordance with the definition in Section 3, that will be used in Illinois in carrying out programs under this Act;
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(b) timetables for ensuring that appropriate early
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| intervention services, based on scientifically based research, to the extent practicable, will be available to all eligible infants and toddlers in this State after the effective date of this Act;
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(c) a timely, comprehensive, multidisciplinary
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| evaluation of each potentially eligible infant and toddler in this State, unless the child meets the definition of eligibility based upon his or her medical and other records; for a child determined eligible, a multidisciplinary assessment of the unique strengths and needs of that infant or toddler and the identification of services appropriate to meet those needs and a family-directed assessment of the resources, priorities, and concerns of the family and the identification of supports and services necessary to enhance the family's capacity to meet the developmental needs of that infant or toddler;
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(d) for each eligible infant and toddler, an
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| Individualized Family Service Plan, including service coordination (case management) services;
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(e) a comprehensive child find system, consistent
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| with Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 United States Code 1411 through 1420 and as set forth in 34 CFR 300.115), which includes timelines and provides for participation by primary referral sources;
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(f) a public awareness program focusing on early
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| identification of eligible infants and toddlers;
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(g) a central directory which includes public and
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| private early intervention services, resources, and experts available in this State, professional and other groups (including parent support groups and training and information centers) that provide assistance to infants and toddlers with disabilities who are eligible for early intervention programs assisted under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and their families, and research and demonstration projects being conducted in this State relating to infants and toddlers with disabilities;
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(h) a comprehensive system of personnel development;
(i) a policy pertaining to the contracting or making
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| of other arrangements with public and private service providers to provide early intervention services in this State, consistent with the provisions of this Act, including the contents of the application used and the conditions of the contract or other arrangements;
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(j) a procedure for securing timely reimbursement of
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(k) procedural safeguards with respect to programs
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(l) policies and procedures relating to the
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| establishment and maintenance of standards to ensure that personnel necessary to carry out this Act are appropriately and adequately prepared and trained;
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(m) a system of evaluation of, and compliance with,
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(n) a system for compiling data on the numbers of
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| eligible infants and toddlers and their families in this State in need of appropriate early intervention services; the numbers served; the types of services provided; and other information required by the State or federal government; and
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(o) a single line of responsibility in a lead agency
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| designated by the Governor to carry out its responsibilities as required by this Act.
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In addition to these required components, linkages may be established within a local community area among the prenatal initiatives affording services to high risk pregnant women. Additional linkages among at risk programs and local literacy programs may also be established.
Within 60 days of the effective date of this Act, a five-fiscal-year implementation plan shall be submitted to the Governor by the lead agency with the concurrence of the Interagency Council on Early Intervention. The plan shall list specific activities to be accomplished each year, with cost estimates for each activity. No later than the second Monday in July of each year thereafter, the lead agency shall, with the concurrence of the Interagency Council, submit to the Governor's Office a report on accomplishments of the previous year and a revised list of activities for the remainder of the five-fiscal-year plan, with cost estimates for each. The Governor shall certify that specific activities in the plan for the previous year have been substantially completed before authorizing relevant State or local agencies to implement activities listed in the revised plan that depend substantially upon completion of one or more of the earlier activities.
(Source: P.A. 98-41, eff. 6-28-13 .)
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(325 ILCS 20/11) (from Ch. 23, par. 4161)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026)
Sec. 11. Individualized Family Service Plans.
(a) Each eligible infant or toddler and that infant's or toddler's family
shall receive:
(1) timely, comprehensive, multidisciplinary |
| assessment of the unique strengths and needs of each eligible infant and toddler, and assessment of the concerns and priorities of the families to appropriately assist them in meeting their needs and identify supports and services to meet those needs; and
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(2) a written Individualized Family Service Plan
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| developed by a multidisciplinary team which includes the parent or guardian. The individualized family service plan shall be based on the multidisciplinary team's assessment of the resources, priorities, and concerns of the family and its identification of the supports and services necessary to enhance the family's capacity to meet the developmental needs of the infant or toddler, and shall include the identification of services appropriate to meet those needs, including the frequency, intensity, and method of delivering services. During and as part of the initial development of the individualized family services plan, and any periodic reviews of the plan, the multidisciplinary team may seek consultation from the lead agency's designated experts, if any, to help determine appropriate services and the frequency and intensity of those services. All services in the individualized family services plan must be justified by the multidisciplinary assessment of the unique strengths and needs of the infant or toddler and must be appropriate to meet those needs. At the periodic reviews, the team shall determine whether modification or revision of the outcomes or services is necessary.
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(b) The Individualized Family Service Plan shall be evaluated once a year
and the family shall be provided a review of the Plan at 6-month intervals or
more often where appropriate based on infant or toddler and family needs.
The lead agency shall create a quality review process regarding Individualized
Family Service Plan development and changes thereto, to monitor
and help ensure that resources are being used to provide appropriate early
intervention services.
(c) The initial evaluation and initial assessment and initial
Plan meeting must be held within 45 days after the initial
contact with the early intervention services system. The 45-day timeline does not apply for any period when the child or parent is unavailable to complete the initial evaluation, the initial assessments of the child and family, or the initial Plan meeting, due to exceptional family circumstances that are documented in the child's early intervention records, or when the parent has not provided consent for the initial evaluation or the initial assessment of the child despite documented, repeated attempts to obtain parental consent. As soon as exceptional family circumstances no longer exist or parental consent has been obtained, the initial evaluation, the initial assessment, and the initial Plan meeting must be completed as soon as possible. With parental consent,
early intervention services may commence before the completion of the
comprehensive assessment and development of the Plan. All early intervention services shall be initiated as soon as possible but not later than 30 calendar days after the consent of the parent or guardian has been obtained for the individualized family service plan, in accordance with rules adopted by the Department of Human Services.
(d) Parents must be informed that early
intervention
services shall be provided to each eligible infant and toddler, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the natural
environment, which may include the home or other community settings. Parents must also be informed of the availability of early intervention services provided through telehealth services. Parents
shall make
the final decision to accept or decline
early intervention services, including whether accepted services are delivered in person or via telehealth services. A decision to decline such services shall
not be a basis for administrative determination of parental fitness, or
other findings or sanctions against the parents. Parameters of the Plan
shall be set forth in rules.
(e) The regional intake offices shall explain to each family, orally and
in
writing, all of the following:
(1) That the early intervention program will pay for
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| all early intervention services set forth in the individualized family service plan that are not covered or paid under the family's public or private insurance plan or policy and not eligible for payment through any other third party payor.
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(2) That services will not be delayed due to any
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| rules or restrictions under the family's insurance plan or policy.
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(3) That the family may request, with appropriate
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| documentation supporting the request, a determination of an exemption from private insurance use under Section 13.25.
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(4) That responsibility for co-payments or
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| co-insurance under a family's private insurance plan or policy will be transferred to the lead agency's central billing office.
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(5) That families will be responsible for payments of
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| family fees, which will be based on a sliding scale according to the State's definition of ability to pay which is comparing household size and income to the sliding scale and considering out-of-pocket medical or disaster expenses, and that these fees are payable to the central billing office. Families who fail to provide income information shall be charged the maximum amount on the sliding scale.
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(f) The individualized family service plan must state whether the family
has private insurance coverage and, if the family has such coverage, must
have attached to it a copy of the family's insurance identification card or
otherwise
include all of the following information:
(1) The name, address, and telephone number of the
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(2) The contract number and policy number of the
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(3) The name, address, and social security number of
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(4) The beginning date of the insurance benefit year.
(g) A copy of the individualized family service plan must be provided to
each enrolled provider who is providing early intervention services to the
child
who is the subject of that plan.
(h) Children receiving services under this Act shall receive a smooth and effective transition by their third birthday consistent with federal regulations adopted pursuant to Sections 1431 through 1444 of Title 20 of the United States Code. Beginning January 1, 2022, children who receive early intervention services prior to their third birthday and are found eligible for an individualized education program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A), and under Section 14-8.02 of the School Code and whose birthday falls between May 1 and August 31 may continue to receive early intervention services until the beginning of the school year following their third birthday in order to minimize gaps in services, ensure better continuity of care, and align practices for the enrollment of preschool children with special needs to the enrollment practices of typically developing preschool children.
(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-104, eff. 7-22-21; 102-209, eff. 11-30-21 (See Section 5 of P.A. 102-671 for effective date of P.A. 102-209); 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-962, eff. 7-1-22 .)
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(325 ILCS 20/12) (from Ch. 23, par. 4162)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026)
Sec. 12. Procedural safeguards. The lead agency shall adopt procedural safeguards that meet federal
requirements and ensure effective implementation of the safeguards
for families
by each
public agency involved in the provision of early intervention
services under this Act.
The procedural safeguards shall provide, at a minimum, the following:
(a) The timely administrative resolution of State |
| complaints, due process hearings, and mediations as defined by administrative rule.
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(b) The right to confidentiality of personally
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| identifiable information.
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(c) The opportunity for parents and a guardian to
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| examine and receive copies of records relating to evaluations and assessments, screening, eligibility determinations, and the development and implementation of the Individualized Family Service Plan provision of early intervention services, individual complaints involving the child, or any part of the child's early intervention record.
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(d) Procedures to protect the rights of the eligible
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| infant or toddler whenever the parents or guardians of the child are not known or unavailable or the child is a youth in care as defined in Section 4d of the Children and Family Services Act, including the assignment of an individual (who shall not be an employee of the State agency or local agency providing services) to act as a surrogate for the parents or guardian. The regional intake entity must make reasonable efforts to ensure the assignment of a surrogate parent not more than 30 days after a public agency determines that the child needs a surrogate parent.
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(e) Timely written prior notice to the parents or
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| guardian of the eligible infant or toddler whenever the State agency or public or private service provider proposes to initiate or change or refuses to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, placement, or the provision of appropriate early intervention services to the eligible infant or toddler.
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(f) Written prior notice to fully inform the parents
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| or guardians, in their native language or mode of communication used by the parent, unless clearly not feasible to do so, in a comprehensible manner, of these procedural safeguards.
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(g) During the pendency of any State complaint
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| procedure, due process hearing, or mediation involving a complaint, unless the State agency and the parents or guardian otherwise agree, the child shall continue to receive the appropriate early intervention services currently being provided, or in the case of an application for initial services, the child shall receive the services not in dispute.
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(Source: P.A. 100-159, eff. 8-18-17 .)
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(325 ILCS 20/13) (from Ch. 23, par. 4163)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026)
Sec. 13. Funding and Fiscal Responsibility.
(a) The lead agency and every
other participating State agency may receive and expend funds appropriated
by the General Assembly to implement the early intervention services system
as required by this Act.
(b) The lead agency and each participating State agency shall identify
and report on an annual basis to the Council the State agency funds utilized
for the provision of early intervention services to eligible infants and
toddlers.
(c) Funds provided under Section 633 of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (20 United States Code 1433) and State funds
designated or appropriated for early intervention services or programs
may not be used to satisfy a
financial commitment for services which would have been paid for from
another public or private source but for the enactment of this Act, except
whenever considered necessary to prevent delay in receiving appropriate early
intervention services by the eligible infant or toddler or family in a
timely manner. "Public or private source" includes public and private
insurance coverage.
Funds provided under Section 633 of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act
and State funds designated or appropriated for early intervention services or
programs
may be used by the lead agency to pay the
provider of services (A) pending reimbursement from the appropriate State
agency
or (B) if (i) the claim for payment is denied in whole or in part by a public
or private source, or would be denied under the written terms of the public
program or plan or private plan, or (ii) use of private insurance for the
service has been exempted under Section 13.25. Payment under item (B)(i) may
be made based on a pre-determination telephone inquiry supported by written
documentation of the denial supplied thereafter by the insurance carrier.
(d) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to permit the State to reduce
medical or other assistance available or to alter eligibility under Title V
and Title XIX of the Social Security Act relating to the Maternal Child
Health Program and Medicaid for eligible infants and toddlers in this State.
(e) The lead agency shall create a central billing office to receive and
dispense all relevant State and federal resources, as well as local
government or independent resources available, for early intervention
services. This office shall assure that maximum federal resources are
utilized and that providers receive funds with minimal duplications or
interagency reporting and with consolidated audit procedures.
(f) The lead agency shall, by rule, create a system of
payments by families, including
a schedule of fees. No fees, however, may be charged for: implementing
child find,
evaluation and assessment, service coordination, administrative and
coordination activities related to the development, review, and evaluation of
Individualized Family Service Plans, or the implementation of procedural
safeguards and other administrative components of the statewide early
intervention system.
The system of payments, called family fees, shall be
structured on a sliding
scale based on the family's ability to pay. The family's coverage
or lack
of coverage under a public or private insurance plan or
policy
shall not be a factor in determining the amount of the
family fees.
Each family's fee obligation shall be
established annually, and shall be paid by
families to
the central billing office in
installments. At the written request of the family, the fee obligation shall be
adjusted prospectively at any point during the year upon proof of a change in
family income or family size. The inability of the parents
of an eligible child to pay family fees due to catastrophic
circumstances or extraordinary expenses shall not result in
the denial of services to the child or the child's family.
A family must document its extraordinary expenses or other catastrophic
circumstances
by showing one of the following: (i) out-of-pocket medical expenses in excess
of 15% of gross income; (ii) a fire, flood, or other disaster causing a direct
out-of-pocket loss in excess of 15% of gross income; or (iii) other
catastrophic
circumstances causing out-of-pocket losses in excess of 15% of gross income.
The family must present proof of loss to its service coordinator, who shall
document it, and the lead agency shall determine
whether the fees shall be reduced, forgiven, or suspended within 10 business
days after
the family's request.
(g) To ensure that early intervention funds are used as the payor of last
resort for early intervention services, the lead agency shall determine at the
point of early intervention intake, and again at any periodic review of
eligibility thereafter or upon a change in family circumstances, whether the
family is eligible for or enrolled in any program for which payment is made
directly or through public or private insurance for any or all of the early
intervention services made available under this Act. The lead agency shall
establish procedures to ensure that payments are made either directly from
these public and private sources instead of from State or federal early
intervention funds, or as reimbursement for payments previously made from State
or federal early intervention funds.
(Source: P.A. 98-41, eff. 6-28-13 .)
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(325 ILCS 20/13.5)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026)
Sec. 13.5. Other programs.
(a) When an application or a review of
eligibility for early
intervention services is made, and at any
eligibility redetermination
thereafter, the family shall be asked if it
is currently enrolled in
any federally funded, Department of Healthcare and Family Services administered, medical programs, or the Title V program
administered by the University of Illinois
Division of
Specialized Care for Children. If the
family is enrolled in any of these
programs, that information shall be put on
the individualized family service
plan and entered into the computerized case
management system, and shall
require that the individualized family
services plan of a child who has been
found eligible for services through the
Division of Specialized Care for
Children state that the child is enrolled
in that program. For those
programs in which the family is not
enrolled, a preliminary eligibility
screen shall be
conducted simultaneously
for (i) medical assistance
(Medicaid) under
Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code, (ii)
children's
health insurance program (any federally funded, Department of Healthcare and Family Services administered, medical programs) benefits
under the
Children's Health Insurance Program Act, and (iii)
Title V
maternal and child health services provided
through the
Division of Specialized Care for Children of the
University
of Illinois.
(b) For purposes of determining family fees
under
subsection (f) of Section 13 and determining
eligibility for
the other programs and services specified in
items (i)
through (iii) of subsection (a), the lead agency
shall
develop and use, within 60 days after the effective
date of
this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly,
with the
cooperation of the Department of Public Aid (now Healthcare and Family Services)
and the
Division
of Specialized Care for Children of the
University of
Illinois, a screening device that provides
sufficient
information for the early intervention regional
intake
entities or other agencies to establish eligibility for
those
other programs
and shall, in cooperation with the Illinois
Department of Public Aid (now Healthcare and Family Services) and the Division
of Specialized Care for Children, train the
regional intake entities
on using the screening device.
(c) When a child is
determined eligible for and enrolled
in the early intervention
program and has been found to at least meet
the threshold income
eligibility requirements for any federally funded, Department of Healthcare and Family Services administered, medical programs, the regional intake entity
shall complete an application for any federally funded, Department of Healthcare and Family Services administered, medical programs with the family and forward it
to the
Department of Healthcare and Family Services for a determination of
eligibility. A parent shall not be required to enroll in any federally funded, Department of Healthcare and Family Services administered, medical programs as a condition of receiving services provided pursuant to Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
(d) With the cooperation of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the lead agency shall establish procedures that
ensure
the timely and maximum allowable recovery of payments
for all
early intervention services and allowable
administrative
costs under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid
Code and the
Children's Health Insurance Program Act and shall include
those procedures in the interagency agreement required under subsection (e) of
Section 5 of this Act.
(e) For purposes of making referrals for final
determinations of eligibility for any federally funded, Department of Healthcare and Family Services administered, medical programs benefits
under the Children's Health Insurance Program Act and for medical assistance
under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code,
the lead agency shall require each early intervention regional intake entity to
enroll as an application agent in order for the entity to complete any federally funded, Department of Healthcare and Family Services administered, medical programs
application as authorized under Section 22 of the Children's Health Insurance
Program Act.
(f) For purposes of early intervention services that may be provided
by the Division of Specialized Care for Children of the University of Illinois
(DSCC), the lead agency shall establish procedures whereby the early
intervention regional
intake entities may determine whether children enrolled in the early
intervention program may also be eligible for those services, and shall
develop, within 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
92nd General Assembly, (i) the inter-agency agreement required under subsection
(e) of Section 5 of this Act, establishing that early intervention funds are to
be used as the payor of last resort when services required under an
individualized family services plan may be provided to an eligible child
through the DSCC, and (ii) training
guidelines for the regional intake entities
and providers that explain eligibility and billing procedures for
services through DSCC.
(g) The lead agency shall require that an
individual applying for or renewing
enrollment as a provider of services in the
early intervention program state whether or
not he or she is also enrolled as a DSCC
provider. This information shall be noted
next to the name of the provider on the
computerized roster of Illinois early
intervention providers, and regional intake
entities shall make every effort to refer
families eligible for DSCC services to
these providers.
(Source: P.A. 98-41, eff. 6-28-13 .)
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(325 ILCS 20/13.20) (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026) Sec. 13.20. Families with insurance coverage. (a) Families of children with insurance coverage, whether public or private, shall incur no greater or less direct out-of-pocket expenses for early intervention services than families who are not insured. (b) Managed care plans. (1) Use of managed care network providers. When a |
| family's insurance coverage is through a managed care arrangement with a network of providers that includes one or more types of early intervention specialists who provide the services set forth in the family's individualized family service plan, the regional intake entity shall require the family to use those network providers, but only to the extent that:
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(A) the network provider is immediately available
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| to receive the referral and to begin providing services to the child;
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(B) the network provider is enrolled as a
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| provider in the Illinois early intervention system and fully credentialed under the current policy or rule of the lead agency;
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(C) the network provider can provide the services
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| to the child in the manner required in the individualized service plan;
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(D) the family would not have to travel more than
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| an additional 15 miles or an additional 30 minutes to the network provider than it would have to travel to a non-network provider who is available to provide the same service; and
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(E) the family's managed care plan does not allow
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| for billing (even at a reduced rate or reduced percentage of the claim) for early intervention services provided by non-network providers.
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(2) Transfers from non-network to network providers.
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| If a child has been receiving services from a non-network provider and the regional intake entity determines, at the time of enrollment in the early intervention program or at any point thereafter, that the family is enrolled in a managed care plan, the regional intake entity shall require the family to transfer to a network provider within 45 days after that determination, but within no more than 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, if:
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(A) all the requirements of subdivision (b)(1) of
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| this Section have been met; and
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(B) the child is less than 26 months of age.
(3) Waivers. The lead agency may fully or partially
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| waive the network enrollment requirements of subdivision (b)(1) of this Section and the transfer requirements of subdivision (b)(2) of this Section as to a particular region, or narrower geographic area, if it finds that the managed care plans in that area are not allowing further enrollment of early intervention providers and it finds that referrals or transfers to network providers could cause an overall shortage of early intervention providers in that region of the State or could cause delays in families securing the early intervention services set forth in individualized family services plans.
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(4) The lead agency, in conjunction with any entities
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| with which it may have contracted for the training and credentialing of providers, the local interagency council for early intervention, the regional intake entity, and the enrolled providers in each region who wish to participate, shall cooperate in developing a matrix and action plan that (A) identifies both (i) which early intervention providers and which fully credentialed early intervention providers are members of the managed care plans that are used in the region by families with children in the early intervention program, and (ii) which early intervention services, with what restrictions, if any, are covered under those plans, (B) identifies which credentialed specialists are members of which managed care plans in the region, and (C) identifies the various managed care plans to early intervention providers, encourages their enrollment in the area plans, and provides them with information on how to enroll. These matrices shall be complete no later than 7 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, and shall be provided to the Early Intervention Legislative Advisory Committee at that time. The lead agency shall work with networks that may have closed enrollment to additional providers to encourage their admission of early intervention providers, and shall report to the Early Intervention Legislative Advisory Committee on the initial results of these efforts no later than February 1, 2002.
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(Source: P.A. 92-307, eff. 8-9-01 .)
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(325 ILCS 20/13.30) (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2026) Sec. 13.30. System of personnel development. The lead agency shall provide training to early intervention providers and may enter into contracts to meet this requirement. If such contracts are let, they shall be bid under a public request for proposals that shall be posted on the lead agency's early intervention website for no less than 30 days. This training shall include, at minimum, the following types of instruction: (a) Courses in birth-to-3 evaluation and treatment of children with developmental disabilities and delays (1) that are taught by fully credentialed early intervention providers or educators with substantial experience in evaluation and treatment of children from birth to age 3 with developmental disabilities and delays, (2) that cover these topics within each of the disciplines of audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language pathology, and developmental therapy, including the social-emotional domain of development, (3) that are held no less than twice per year, (4) that offer no fewer than 20 contact hours per year of course work, (5) that are held in no fewer than 5 separate locales throughout the State, and (6) that give enrollment priority to early intervention providers who do not meet the experience, education, or continuing education requirements necessary to be fully credentialed early intervention providers; and (b) Courses held no less than twice per year for no fewer than 4 hours each in no fewer than 5 separate locales throughout the State each on the following topics: (1) Practice and procedures of private insurance |
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(2) The role of the regional intake entities; service
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| coordination; program eligibility determinations; family fees; any federally funded, Department of Healthcare and Family Services administered, medical programs, and Division of Specialized Care applications, referrals, and coordination with Early Intervention; and procedural safeguards.
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(3) Introduction to the early intervention program,
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| including provider enrollment and credentialing, overview of Early Intervention program policies and regulations, and billing requirements.
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(4) Evaluation and assessment of birth-to-3 children;
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| individualized family service plan development, monitoring, and review; best practices; service guidelines; and quality assurance.
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(Source: P.A. 98-41, eff. 6-28-13 .)
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