Senate Sponsors: RAUSCHENBERGER-RONEN-LIGHTFORD-PARKER. House Sponsors: FEIGENHOLTZ-GARRETT-CROTTY-FOWLER-FORBY Short description: CHILDRN-EARLY INTERVENTN SRVCS Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Amends the Early Intervention Services System Act, the Specialized Care for Children Act, the Children's Health Insurance Program Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code. Defines "qualified person" and "suitable qualifications" for purposes of providing early intervention services. Provides that an application for early intervention services serves as an application for Medicaid, for services under the children's health insurance program, and for maternal and child health services provided through the Division of Specialized Care for Children of the University of Illinois; also provides for automatic enrollment in those other programs. Provides for the use of insurance coverage to pay for early intervention services. Provides for Medicaid coverage of early intervention services. Effective immediately. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 1. Deletes reference to: 110 ILCS 345/4 new 215 ILCS 106/22 305 ILCS 5/5-2.4 new 305 ILCS 5/5-5 325 ILCS 20/10.5 new 325 ILCS 20/13.35 new Adds reference to: 325 ILCS 20/4 325 ILCS 20/5 325 ILCS 20/13.32 new 325 ILCS 20/13.50 new 325 ILCS 20/15 from Ch. 23, par. 4165 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with similar provisions. Amends the Early Intervention Services System Act. Changes from the bill as introduced include the following: (1) adds certain children to those included in the definition of "eligible infants and toddlers"; (2) eliminates provisions concerning qualifications of early intervention services providers; (3) adds requirements concern- ing reports by the Illinois Interagency Council on Early Interven- tion; (4) adds requirements concerning interagency agreements between the Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Aid and the U of I Division of Specialized Care for Children; (5) adds requirements concerning individualized family service plans; (6) adds specific items of information that regional intake offices must pro- vide to families; (7) makes changes concerning family fee obligations; (8) makes changes concerning a family's eligibility for Medicaid, KidCare, and maternal and child health services; (9) requires the Department of Human Services to determine a child's access to private health insurance within 60 (instead of 90) days after the effective date of this amendatory Act; (10) requires (instead of permits) early intervention service providers to bill private insurance carriers, and establishes procedures in connection with billing; (11) changes pro- visions concerning private insurance deductibles and co-payments, and adds provisions concerning managed care plans; (12) changes the pro- visions concerning eligibility for a family's exemption from the requirement to use private insurance coverage, and shortens the time periods within which the Department of Human Services must act in connection with exemptions; (13) adds requirements concerning training for credentialed early intervention specialists (replacing provisions concerning training for early intervention service providers); (14) authorizes the Department of Human Services to enter into contracts for the performance of some or all of its responsibilities under the Act; (15) provides for an Early Intervention Legislative Advisory Commission; (16) requires the Auditor General to conduct a follow-up evaluation of the early intervention services system; and (17) elimi- nates the amendatory changes to the Specialized Care for Children Act, the Children's Health Insurance Program Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 2. Adds reference to: 325 ILCS 20/10.2 new Further amends the Early Intervention Services System Act. Provides for the qualifications and credentialing of specialists who provide early intervention services, including audiologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, social workers, counselors, psychologists, developmental therapists, and service coordinators. Provides for associate level and provisional credentialing. Provides for regional waivers of the requirements due to an insufficient number of fully credentialed specialists to meet the demand for timely early intervention services in a particular region of the State. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 3. Deletes reference to: 325 ILCS 20/10.2 new Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Early Intervention Services System Act. Makes changes substantially similar to those made by House Amendment No. 1, with differences that include the following: (1) adds definitions of "regional intake entity", "early intervention provider", and "fully credentialed early intervention provider"; (2) eliminates certain specific information required to be included in the annual report of the Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention, and requires that the report include material requested by the Early Intervention Legislative Advisory Committee; (3) requires that interagency agreements between the Department of Human Services and other agencies by reviewed and revised to implement the purposes of this amendatory Act; (4) requires the Department of Human Services to maintain an early intervention website; (5) provides for payment of a family's fee obligation in installments (instead of quarterly installments), and provides for an adjustment based on a change in family size; (6) sets forth requirements for documenting extraordinary expenses of other catastrophic circumstances; (7) eliminates provision that a child enrolled in an early intervention program shall be automatically enrolled in certain other programs for which the child may be eligible; (8) with respect to insurance coverage, eliminates provisions concerning deductibles, copayments, and co-insurance, and changes provisions concerning managed care plans; (9) eliminates certain provisions concerning evaluating bids in connection with contracts for the performance of Department of Human Services functions; and (10) makes changes concerning reports to be submitted by the Early Intervention Legislative Advisory Committee, and requires the first such report by September 21, 2001. Effective immediately. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 4. In the amendatory changes to the definition of "infants and toddlers", provides that "having been determined to require the continuation of early intervention services" is in addition to (instead of an alternative to) either "having entered the program under certain circumstances and continuing to have any measurable delay" or "not having attained a level of development in certain areas that is at least at the mean of the child's age equivalent peers". In the definition of "fully credentialed early intervention provider", provides that an individual must meet the standards (instead of the highest standards) in the State applicable to the profession. Deletes the requirement that a request for an exemption be made at the regional intake entity. Provides that the Department of Human Services (instead of the manager of the regional intake entity) shall determine whether a family's fee obligation shall be reduced, forgiven, or suspended, and requires that the determination be made within 10 business days (instead of 10 days) after the family's request. Makes other changes. Last action on Bill: PUBLIC ACT.............................. 92-0307 Last action date: AUG-09-2001 Location: Senate Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 4 SENATE - 0 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status