Section 1235.50  Definitions

The following definitions shall apply to the terms used in this Part:

"Act" means the Health Care Worker Self-Referral Act. [225 ILCS 47]

"Board" or "State Board" means the Health Facilities and Services Review Board.  [224 ILCS 47/15(a)]

"Community" means a metropolitan area for a city, and a county for a rural area.  [225 ILCS 47/20(b)]

"Entity" means any individual, partnership, firm, corporation, or other business that provides health services but does not include an individual who is a health care worker who provides professional services to an individual. [225 ILCS 47/15(b)]

"Group Practice" means a group of 2 or more health care workers legally organized as a partnership, professional corporation, not-for-profit corporation, faculty practice plan or a similar association in which occurs:

each health care worker who is a member or employee or an independent contractor of the group provides substantially the full range of services that the health care worker routinely provides, including consultation, diagnosis, or treatment, through the use of office space, facilities, equipment, or personnel of the group;

the services of the health care workers are provided through the group, and payments received for health services are treated as receipts of the group; and

the overhead expenses and the income from the practice are distributed by methods previously determined by the group.  [225 ILCS 47/15(c)]  

"Health Care Worker" means any individual licensed under the laws of this State to provide health services, including but not limited to:  dentists licensed under the Illinois Dental Practice Act [225 ILCS 25]; dental hygienists licensed under the Illinois Dental Practice Act; nurses and advanced practice nurses licensed under the Illinois Nurse Practice Act [225 ILCS 65]; occupational therapists licensed under the Illinois Occupational Therapy Practice Act [225 ILCS 75]; optometrists licensed under the Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987 [225 ILCS 80]; pharmacists licensed under the Pharmacy Practice Act [225 ILCS 85]; physical therapists licensed under the Illinois Physical Therapy Act [225 ILCS 90]; physicians licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 [225 ILCS 60]; physician assistants licensed under the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987 [225 ILCS 95]; podiatrists licensed under the Podiatric Medical Practice Act of 1987 [225 ILCS 100]; clinical psychologists licensed under the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act [225 ILCS 15]; clinical social workers licensed under the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act [225 ILCS 20]; speech-language pathologists and audiologists licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act [225 ILCS 110]; or hearing aid dispensers licensed under the Hearing Instrument Consumer Protection Act [225 ILCS 50] or any of their successor Acts.  [225 ILCS 47/15(d)]

"Health Services" means health care procedures and services provided by or through a health care worker.  [225 ILCS 47/15(e)]

"Immediate Family Member" means a health care worker's spouse, child, child's spouse, or a parent.  [225 ILCS 47/15(f)]

"Investment Interest" means an equity or debt security issued by an entity, including, without limitation, shares of stock in a corporation, units or other interests in a partnership, bonds, debentures, notes, or other equity interests or debt instruments except that investment interest does not include interest in a hospital licensed under the laws of the State of Illinois.  [225 ILCS 47/15(g)]

"Investor" means an individual or entity directly or indirectly owning a legal or beneficial ownership or investment interest (such as through an immediate family member, trust, or another entity related to the investor). [225 ILCS 47/15(h)]

"Metropolitan Area" means a geographically identified area consisting of community areas or townships (as applicable) not to exceed a population of 50,000 people.

"Office Practice" includes the facility or facilities at which a health care worker, on an ongoing basis, provides or supervises the provision of professional health services to individuals.  [225 ILCS 47/15(i)]

"Referral" means any referral of a patient for health services, including, without limitation:

The forwarding of a patient by one health care worker to another health care worker or to an entity outside the health care worker's office practice or group practice that provides health services. 

The request or establishment by a health care worker of a plan of care outside the health care worker's office practice or group practice that includes the provision of any health services.  [225 ILCS 47/15(j)]

"Rural Area" means any geographic area located outside a metropolitan statistical area as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

(Source:  Amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 15310, effective December 5, 2017)