410 ILCS 50/ Medical Patient Rights Act.

(410 ILCS 50/0.01) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5400)

Sec. 0.01. Short Title. This Act may be cited as the Medical Patient Rights Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(410 ILCS 50/1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5401)

Sec. 1. The purpose of this Act is to establish certain rights for medical patients and to provide a penalty for the violation thereof.

(Source: P.A. 81-1167.)

(410 ILCS 50/2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5402)

Sec. 2. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms specified in Sections 2.01 through 2.05 have the meanings ascribed to them in those Sections.

(Source: P.A. 86-820; 86-1355; 86-1475.)

(410 ILCS 50/2.01) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5402.01)

Sec. 2.01. "Patient" means any person who has received or is receiving medical care, treatment or services from an individual or institution licensed to provide medical care or treatment in this State.

(Source: P.A. 81-1167.)

(410 ILCS 50/2.02) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5402.02)

Sec. 2.02. "Health services corporation" means any corporation issuing a plan for medical or hospital services or for the payment or reimbursement of expenses arising from such services.

(Source: P.A. 81-1167.)

(410 ILCS 50/2.03) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5402.03)

Sec. 2.03. "Health care provider" means any public or private facility that provides, on an inpatient or outpatient basis, preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, convalescent, rehabilitation, mental health, or intellectual disability services, including general or special hospitals, skilled nursing homes, extended care facilities, intermediate care facilities and mental health centers.

(Source: P.A. 97-227, eff. 1-1-12.)

(410 ILCS 50/2.04) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5402.04)

Sec. 2.04. "Insurance company" means (1) an insurance company, fraternal benefit society, and any other insurer subject to regulation under the Illinois Insurance Code; or (2) a health maintenance organization.

(Source: P.A. 85-677; 85-679.)

(410 ILCS 50/2.05) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5402.05)

Sec. 2.05. "Experimental procedures" means a research program or an experimental procedure, as defined under the rules and regulations of the Hospital Licensing Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-1355.)

(410 ILCS 50/3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403)

Sec. 3. The following rights are hereby established:

(a) The right of each patient to care consistent with sound nursing and medical practices, to be informed of the name of the physician responsible for coordinating his or her care, to receive information concerning his or her condition and proposed treatment, to refuse any treatment to the extent permitted by law, and to privacy and confidentiality of records except as otherwise provided by law.

(b) The right of each patient, regardless of source of payment, to examine and receive a reasonable explanation of his total bill for services rendered by his physician or health care provider, including the itemized charges for specific services received. Each physician or health care provider shall be responsible only for a reasonable explanation of those specific services provided by such physician or health care provider.

(c) In the event an insurance company or health services corporation cancels or refuses to renew an individual policy or plan, the insured patient shall be entitled to timely, prior notice of the termination of such policy or plan.

An insurance company or health services corporation that requires any insured patient or applicant for new or continued insurance or coverage to be tested for infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or any other identified causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) shall (1) give the patient or applicant prior written notice of such requirement, (2) proceed with such testing only upon the written authorization of the applicant or patient, and (3) keep the results of such testing confidential. Notice of an adverse underwriting or coverage decision may be given to any appropriately interested party, but the insurer may only disclose the test result itself to a physician designated by the applicant or patient, and any such disclosure shall be in a manner that assures confidentiality.

The Department of Insurance shall enforce the provisions of this subsection.

(d) The right of each patient to privacy and confidentiality in health care. Each physician, health care provider, health services corporation and insurance company shall refrain from disclosing the nature or details of services provided to patients, except that such information may be disclosed: (1) to the patient, (2) to the party making treatment decisions if the patient is incapable of making decisions regarding the health services provided, (3) for treatment in accordance with 45 CFR 164.501 and 164.506, (4) for payment in accordance with 45 CFR 164.501 and 164.506, (5) to those parties responsible for peer review, utilization review, and quality assurance, (6) for health care operations in accordance with 45 CFR 164.501 and 164.506, (7) to those parties required to be notified under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act or the Illinois Sexually Transmitted Infection Control Act, or (8) as otherwise permitted, authorized, or required by State or federal law. This right may be waived in writing by the patient or the patient's guardian or legal representative, but a physician or other health care provider may not condition the provision of services on the patient's, guardian's, or legal representative's agreement to sign such a waiver. In the interest of public health, safety, and welfare, patient information, including, but not limited to, health information, demographic information, and information about the services provided to patients, may be transmitted to or through a health information exchange, as that term is defined in Section 2 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act, in accordance with the disclosures permitted pursuant to this Section. Patients shall be provided the opportunity to opt out of their health information being transmitted to or through a health information exchange in accordance with Section 9.6 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act, Section 9.6 of the AIDS Confidentiality Act, or Section 31.8 of the Genetic Information Privacy Act, as applicable. In the case of a patient choosing to opt out of having his or her information available on an HIE, nothing in this Act shall cause the physician or health care provider to be liable for the release of a patient's health information by other entities that may possess such information, including, but not limited to, other health professionals, providers, laboratories, pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and nursing homes.

(Source: P.A. 103-508, eff. 8-4-23; 103-1049, eff. 8-9-24.)

(410 ILCS 50/3.1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.1)

Sec. 3.1. (a) Any patient who is the subject of a research program or an experimental procedure, as defined under the rules and regulations of the Hospital Licensing Act, shall have, at a minimum, the right to receive an explanation of the nature and possible consequences of such research or experiment before the research or experiment is conducted, and to consent to or reject it.

(b) No physician may conduct any research program or experimental procedure on a patient without the prior informed consent of the patient or, if the patient is unable to consent, the patient's guardian, spouse, parent, or authorized agent.

(c) This Section shall not apply to any research program or medical experimental procedure for patients subject to a life-threatening emergency that is conducted in accordance with Part 50 of Title 21 of, and Part 46 of Title 45 of, the Code of Federal Regulations.

(Source: P.A. 90-36, eff. 6-27-97.)

(410 ILCS 50/3.2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403.2)

Sec. 3.2. Visitation rights, policies, and procedures.

(a) Every health care facility in this State shall permit visitation by any person or persons designated by a patient who is 18 years of age or older and who is allowed rights of visitation unless (1) the facility does not allow any visitation for a patient or patients, or (2) the facility or the patient's physician determines that visitation would endanger the physical health or safety of a patient or visitor, or would interfere with the operations of the facility.

(a-5) Notwithstanding subsection (a), during a period for which the Governor has issued a proclamation under Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act declaring that a disaster exists or in the event of an outbreak or epidemic of a communicable disease in the community in which the health care facility is located, a health care facility shall ensure an opportunity for at least one visitor to visit a resident or patient of the health care facility. A health care facility shall not count a clergy member toward any limit on the number of visitors permitted to visit a resident or patient at one time and shall permit a clergy member to visit with a resident or patient in addition to the permitted number of visitors. Visitation shall be subject to the guidelines, conditions, and limitations of the health care facility's visitation policy and any rules or guidelines established by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Visitors under this subsection may be required by the health care facility to submit to health screenings necessary to prevent the spread of infectious disease. A health care facility may restrict facility access to a visitor who does not pass its health screening requirement. A health care facility may require a visitor to adhere to infection control procedures, including wearing personal protective equipment. A health care facility may deny visitation under this Act if visitation would endanger the physical health or safety of a patient, the visitor, or health care workers or would otherwise create a public health or safety problem.

(a-10) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a skilled nursing home, extended care facility, or intermediate care facility may prohibit an individual from visiting a resident or patient of the nursing home or facility if specific facts demonstrate that the individual would endanger his or her physical health or safety or the health or safety of a resident, patient, or health care worker of the nursing home or facility. Any denial of visitation under this subsection (a-10) shall be in writing and shall be provided to the individual and the resident or patient with whom the individual was denied visitation.

(a-15) Each skilled nursing home, extended care facility, and intermediate care facility shall:

(1) inform each resident of the nursing home or facility (or that individual's representative) of the resident's visitation rights and the nursing home or facility's visitation-related policies and procedures, including any clinical or safety-related restriction or limitation on visitation rights, the reasons for the restriction or limitation, and the persons to whom the restriction or limitation may apply;

(2) inform each resident of the resident's right:

(A) to consent to receive designated visitors, such as a spouse, including, without limitation, a same-sex spouse; a domestic partner, including, without limitation, a same-sex domestic partner; another family member; or a friend; and

(B) to withdraw or deny that consent at any time;

(3) not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability; and

(4) ensure that all of the resident's visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges, consistent with the resident's preferences.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (a-5), nothing in this Section shall be construed to further limit or restrict the right of visitation provided by other provisions of law or to restrict the ability of a health care facility to regulate hours of visitation, the number of visitors per patient, or the movement of visitors within the health care facility.

(c) For the purposes of this Section a "health care facility" does not include a developmental disability facility, a mental health facility or a mental health center.

(Source: P.A. 102-989, eff. 5-27-22.)

(410 ILCS 50/3.3)

Sec. 3.3. Prohibition on the markup of anatomic pathology services.

(a) A physician who orders, but who does not supervise or perform, an anatomic pathology service shall disclose in a bill for such service presented to the patient:

(1) the name and address of the physician or laboratory that provided the anatomic pathology service; and

(2) the actual amount paid or to be paid for each anatomic pathology service provided to the patient by the physician or laboratory that performed the service.

(b) A physician subject to the requirement of subsection (a) of this Section when billing a patient, insurer, or third-party payer shall not markup, or directly or indirectly increase, the amount subject to disclosure under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this Section in any bill presented to a patient, insurer, or third-party payer.

(c) This Section does not prohibit a referring physician from charging a specimen acquisition or processing charge if:

(1) the charge is limited to actual costs incurred for specimen collection and transportation; and

(2) the charge is separately coded or denoted as a service distinct from the performance of the anatomic pathology service, in conformance with the coding policies of the American Medical Association.

(d) The requirements of this Section do not apply to an anatomic pathology service ordered or provided by:

(1) facilities licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act or the University of Illinois Hospital Act or clinical laboratories owned, operated by, or operated within facilities licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act or the University of Illinois Hospital Act;

(2) any public health clinic or nonprofit health clinic; or

(3) any government agency, or their specified public or private agents.

(e) No patient, insurer, or other third-party payer, shall be required to reimburse any licensed health care professional for charges or claims submitted in violation of this Section.

(f) A person who receives a bill for an anatomic pathology service made in knowing and willful violation of this Section may maintain an action to recover the actual amount paid for the bill.

(g) The Department of Insurance shall enforce the provisions of this Section for any bill submitted to a payer in violation of this Section.

(h) For the purposes of this Section, "anatomic pathology services" means:

(1) histopathology or surgical pathology, meaning the gross and microscopic examination performed by a physician or under the supervision of a physician, including histologic processing;

(2) cytopathology, meaning the microscopic examination of cells from (A) fluids, (B) aspirates, (C) washings, (D) brushings, or (E) smears, including the Pap smear test examination performed by a physician or under the supervision of a physician;

(3) hematology, meaning the microscopic evaluation of bone marrow aspirates and biopsies performed by a physician, or under the supervision of a physician, and peripheral blood smears when the attending or treating physician or technologist requests that a blood smear be reviewed by a pathologist;

(4) sub-cellular pathology or molecular pathology, meaning the assessment of a patient specimen for the detection, localization, measurement, or analysis of one or more protein or nucleic acid targets; and

(5) blood-banking services performed by pathologists.

(Source: P.A. 98-1127, eff. 1-1-15.)

(410 ILCS 50/3.4)

Sec. 3.4. Rights of women; pregnancy and childbirth.

(a) In addition to any other right provided under this Act, every woman has the following rights with regard to pregnancy and childbirth:

(1) The right to receive health care before, during, and after pregnancy and childbirth.

(2) The right to receive care for her and her infant that is consistent with generally accepted medical standards.

(3) The right to choose a certified nurse midwife or physician as her maternity care professional.

(4) The right to choose her birth setting from the full range of birthing options available in her community.

(5) The right to leave her maternity care professional and select another if she becomes dissatisfied with her care, except as otherwise provided by law.

(6) The right to receive information about the names of those health care professionals involved in her care.

(7) The right to privacy and confidentiality of records, except as provided by law.

(8) The right to receive information concerning her condition and proposed treatment, including methods of relieving pain.

(9) The right to accept or refuse any treatment, to the extent medically possible.

(10) The right to be informed if her caregivers wish to enroll her or her infant in a research study in accordance with Section 3.1 of this Act.

(11) The right to access her medical records in accordance with Section 8-2001 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(12) The right to receive information in a language in which she can communicate in accordance with federal law.

(13) The right to receive emotional and physical support during labor and birth.

(14) The right to freedom of movement during labor and to give birth in the position of her choice, within generally accepted medical standards.

(15) The right to contact with her newborn, except where necessary care must be provided to the mother or infant.

(16) The right to receive information about breastfeeding.

(17) The right to decide collaboratively with caregivers when she and her baby will leave the birth site for home, based on their conditions and circumstances.

(18) The right to be treated with respect at all times before, during, and after pregnancy by her health care professionals.

(19) The right of each patient, regardless of source of payment, to examine and receive a reasonable explanation of her total bill for services rendered by her maternity care professional or health care provider, including itemized charges for specific services received. Each maternity care professional or health care provider shall be responsible only for a reasonable explanation of those specific services provided by the maternity care professional or health care provider.

(b) The Department of Public Health, Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Department of Children and Family Services, and Department of Human Services shall post, either by physical or electronic means, information about these rights on their publicly available websites. Every health care provider, day care center licensed under the Child Care Act of 1969, Head Start, and community center shall post information about these rights in a prominent place and on their websites, if applicable.

(c) The Department of Public Health shall adopt rules to implement this Section.

(d) Nothing in this Section or any rules adopted under subsection (c) shall be construed to require a physician, health care professional, hospital, hospital affiliate, or health care provider to provide care inconsistent with generally accepted medical standards or available capabilities or resources.

(Source: P.A. 101-445, eff. 1-1-20; 102-4, eff. 4-27-21.)

(410 ILCS 50/4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5404)

Sec. 4. Violations. Any physician or health care provider that violates a patient's rights as set forth in subparagraph (b) of Section 3 is guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined $500. Any insurance company or health service corporation that violates a patient's rights as set forth in subparagraph (c) of Section 3 is guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined $1,000. Any physician, health care provider, health services corporation or insurance company that violates a patient's rights as set forth in subsection (d) of Section 3 is guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined $1,000.

(Source: P.A. 92-651, eff. 7-11-02.)

(410 ILCS 50/5)

Sec. 5. Statement of hospital patient's rights.

(a) Each patient admitted to a hospital, and the guardian or authorized representative or parent of a minor patient, shall be given a written statement of all the rights enumerated in this Act, or a similar statement of patients' rights required of the hospital by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations or a similar accrediting organization. The statement shall be given at the time of admission or as soon thereafter as the condition of the patient permits.

(b) If a patient is unable to read the written statement, a hospital shall make a reasonable effort to provide it to the guardian or authorized representative of the patient.

(c) The statement shall also include the right not to be discriminated against by the hospital due to the patient's race, color, or national origin where such characteristics are not relevant to the patient's medical diagnosis and treatment. The statement shall further provide each admitted patient or the patient's representative or guardian with notice of how to initiate a grievance regarding improper discrimination with the hospital and how the patient may lodge a grievance with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Human Rights regardless of whether the patient has first used the hospital's grievance process.

(Source: P.A. 97-485, eff. 8-22-11.)

(410 ILCS 50/5.1)

Sec. 5.1. Discrimination grievance procedures. Upon receipt of a grievance alleging unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, the hospital must investigate the claim and work with the patient to address valid or proven concerns in accordance with the hospital's grievance process. At the conclusion of the hospital's grievance process, the hospital shall inform the patient that such grievances may be reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health if not resolved to the patient's satisfaction at the hospital level.

(Source: P.A. 97-485, eff. 8-22-11.)

(410 ILCS 50/5.2)

Sec. 5.2. Emergency room anti-discrimination notice. Every hospital shall post, either by physical or electronic means, a sign next to or in close proximity of its sign required by Section 489.20(q)(1) of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations stating the following:

"You have the right not to be discriminated against by the hospital due to your race, color, or national origin if these characteristics are unrelated to your diagnosis or treatment. If you believe this right has been violated, please call (insert number for hospital grievance officer).".

(Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21.)

(410 ILCS 50/6)

Sec. 6. Identification badges. A health care facility that provides treatment or care to a patient in this State shall require each employee of or volunteer for the facility, including a student, who examines or treats a patient or resident of the facility to wear an identification badge that readily discloses the first name, licensure status, if any, and staff position of the person examining or treating the patient or resident. This Section does not apply to a facility licensed or certified under the ID/DD Community Care Act, the MC/DD Act, or the Community-Integrated Living Arrangements Licensure and Certification Act.

(Source: P.A. 98-243, eff. 1-1-14; 98-890, eff. 1-1-15; 99-180, eff. 7-29-15.)

(410 ILCS 50/7)

Sec. 7. Patient examination. Any physician, medical student, resident, advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, or physician assistant who provides treatment or care to a patient shall inform the patient of his or her profession upon providing the treatment or care, which includes but is not limited to any physical examination, such as a pelvic examination. In the case of an unconscious patient, any care or treatment must be related to the patient's illness, condition, or disease.

(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

(410 ILCS 50/99)

Sec. 99. This Act takes effect on becoming a law.

(Source: P.A. 88-670, eff. 12-2-94.)