State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_HB5775

 
                                               LRB9215229DJmb

 1        AN ACT in relation to health.

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

 4        Section  5.  The Medical Patient Rights Act is amended by
 5    changing Sections 2, 3, and 4  and  adding  Section  2.06  as
 6    follows:

 7        (410 ILCS 50/2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5402)
 8        Sec. 2. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise
 9    requires,  the terms specified in the Sections following this
10    Section and preceding Section 3 2.01 through  2.05  have  the
11    meanings ascribed to them in those Sections.
12    (Source: P.A. 86-820; 86-1355; 86-1475.)

13        (410 ILCS 50/2.06 new)
14        Sec.  2.06. "Physician" means a person licensed under the
15    Medical Practice Act to  practice  medicine  in  all  of  its
16    branches.

17        (410 ILCS 50/3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5403)
18        Sec. 3. The following rights are hereby established:
19        (a)  The  right  of  each patient to care consistent with
20    sound nursing and medical practices, to be  informed  of  the
21    name of the physician responsible for coordinating his or her
22    care,  to receive information concerning his or her condition
23    and proposed treatment, to refuse any treatment to the extent
24    permitted by law,  and  to  privacy  and  confidentiality  of
25    records except as otherwise provided by law.
26        (a-5)  The  right  of each patient, in non-emergency care
27    situations, to  be  informed  by  a  physician  whether  that
28    physician  is a party to a contract with the patient's health
29    services  corporation  or  insurance  company,  if  any,  and
 
                            -2-                LRB9215229DJmb
 1    participates in the provider network or panel  maintained  by
 2    the  health  care services organization or insurance company.
 3    If the physician is not  a  party  to  a  contract  with  the
 4    patient's  health care organization or insurance company, the
 5    physician  must  provide  the  patient  with  the   following
 6    information before rendering any services to the patient:
 7             (1)  An  explanation  of  itemized  services  to  be
 8        rendered in non-emergency care settings.
 9             (2)  An   itemized   explanation  of  the  estimated
10        charges for the services to be rendered.
11             (3)  An explanation of the patient's  responsibility
12        for payment of any of those charges.
13        (a-6)  The  Department  of  Professional Regulation shall
14    enforce the provisions of subsection  (a-5).  The  Department
15    shall adopt rules to establish the following:
16             (1)  A process by which patients may file complaints
17        with  the  Department  alleging a violation of subsection
18        (a-5).
19             (2)  A process for  investigating  complaints  filed
20        under item (1).
21             (3)  A   hearing  process  to  determine  whether  a
22        complaint filed under item (1) has merit.
23             (4)  Appropriate civil monetary and other  penalties
24        to  be  imposed  if  the  Department  determines  that  a
25        violation of subsection (a-5) has occurred.
26        (b)  The  right  of each patient, regardless of source of
27    payment, to examine and receive a reasonable  explanation  of
28    his  total  bill  for  services  rendered by his physician or
29    health care provider,  including  the  itemized  charges  for
30    specific  services  received.   Each physician or health care
31    provider  shall  be  responsible  only   for   a   reasonable
32    explanation  of  those  specific  services  provided  by such
33    physician or health care provider.
34        (c)  In the event an insurance company or health services
 
                            -3-                LRB9215229DJmb
 1    corporation cancels or refuses to renew an individual  policy
 2    or  plan,  the  insured  patient shall be entitled to timely,
 3    prior notice of the termination of such policy or plan.
 4        An insurance company or health services corporation  that
 5    requires   any  insured  patient  or  applicant  for  new  or
 6    continued insurance or coverage to be  tested  for  infection
 7    with   human   immunodeficiency  virus  (HIV)  or  any  other
 8    identified  causative  agent  of  acquired   immunodeficiency
 9    syndrome (AIDS) shall (1) give the patient or applicant prior
10    written  notice  of  such  requirement, (2) proceed with such
11    testing only upon the written authorization of the  applicant
12    or  patient,  and  (3)  keep  the  results  of  such  testing
13    confidential.   Notice of an adverse underwriting or coverage
14    decision may be given to any appropriately interested  party,
15    but the insurer may only disclose the test result itself to a
16    physician  designated  by  the  applicant or patient, and any
17    such  disclosure  shall  be  in   a   manner   that   assures
18    confidentiality.
19        The  Department of Insurance shall enforce the provisions
20    of this subsection.
21        (d)  The  right  of   each   patient   to   privacy   and
22    confidentiality  in  health care. Each physician, health care
23    provider, health services corporation and  insurance  company
24    shall  refrain  from  disclosing  the  nature  or  details of
25    services provided to patients, except that  such  information
26    may  be  disclosed to the patient, the party making treatment
27    decisions if the patient is  incapable  of  making  decisions
28    regarding   the   health  services  provided,  those  parties
29    directly involved with providing treatment to the patient  or
30    processing  the  payment  for  that  treatment, those parties
31    responsible for peer review, utilization review  and  quality
32    assurance,  and  those  parties required to be notified under
33    the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting  Act,  the  Illinois
34    Sexually Transmissible Disease Control Act or where otherwise
 
                            -4-                LRB9215229DJmb
 1    authorized  or  required by law.  This right may be waived in
 2    writing by the patient  or  the  patient's  guardian,  but  a
 3    physician or other health care provider may not condition the
 4    provision   of   services  on  the  patient's  or  guardian's
 5    agreement to sign such a waiver.
 6    (Source: P.A. 86-895; 86-902; 86-1028; 87-334.)

 7        (410 ILCS 50/4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5404)
 8        Sec. 4.  Any  physician  or  health  care  provider  that
 9    violates  a patient's rights as set forth in subparagraph (a)
10    of Section 3 is guilty of a petty offense and shall be  fined
11    $500.  Any  insurance  company  or health service corporation
12    that violates a patient's rights as set forth in subparagraph
13    (c) (b) of Section 3 is guilty of a petty offense  and  shall
14    be  fined $1,000. Any physician, health care provider, health
15    services corporation or insurance  company  that  violates  a
16    patient's  rights as set forth in subsection (c) of Section 3
17    is guilty of a petty offense and shall be fined $1,000.
18    (Source: P.A. 86-902.)

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