State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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90_HB3489

      215 ILCS 125/2-8          from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1407.01
      410 ILCS 50/3.3 new
      410 ILCS 50/4             from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5404
          Amends  the  Health  Maintenance  Organization  Act   and
      Medical  Patient  Rights  Act.   Provides  that a health care
      provider may  not  bill  patients  for  services  except  for
      applicable  deductibles  or  copayments  or  for services not
      covered when  the  health  care  provider  has  provided  the
      services under a contract with an insurance company or health
      maintenance organization under which the health care provider
      has  agreed  not to seek payment from patients.  Provides for
      enforcement by the Director of Insurance.
                                                     LRB9011013JSmg
                                               LRB9011013JSmg
 1        AN ACT concerning health care provider billing practices,
 2    amending named Acts.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.   The  Health Maintenance Organization Act is
 6    amended by changing Section 2-8 as follows:
 7        (215 ILCS 125/2-8) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1407.01)
 8        Sec. 2-8. Provider agreements.
 9        (a) All provider contracts currently in existence between
10    any organization and any hospital which  are  renewed  on  or
11    after   180   days  following  the  effective  date  of  this
12    amendatory  Act  of  1987,  and  all  contracts  between  any
13    organization and any hospital executed on or after  180  days
14    after  such  effective  date,  shall  contain  the  following
15    "hold-harmless"  clause:  "The  provider  agrees  that  in no
16    event,  including  but  not  limited  to  nonpayment  by  the
17    organization of amounts due the hospital provider under  this
18    contract,  insolvency  of  the  organization or any breach of
19    this  contract  by  the  organization,  shall  the   hospital
20    provider  or  its assignees or subcontractors have a right to
21    seek any type  of  payment  from,  bill,  charge,  collect  a
22    deposit  from,  or  have  any recourse against, the enrollee,
23    persons acting on  the  enrollee's  behalf  (other  than  the
24    organization),  the  employer  or  group  contract holder for
25    services provided pursuant to this contract  except  for  the
26    payment of applicable co-payments or deductibles for services
27    covered  by the organization or fees for services not covered
28    by the organization.  The requirements of this  clause  shall
29    survive   any  termination  of  this  contract  for  services
30    rendered prior to such termination, regardless of  the  cause
31    of   such  termination.  The  organization's  enrollees,  the
                            -2-                LRB9011013JSmg
 1    persons acting on  the  enrollee's  behalf  (other  than  the
 2    organization) and the employer or group contract holder shall
 3    be  third  party  beneficiaries  of this clause.  This clause
 4    supersedes any oral or  written  agreement  now  existing  or
 5    hereafter entered into between the provider and the enrollee,
 6    persons  acting  on  the  enrollee's  behalf  (other than the
 7    organization) and the employer or group contract holder."  To
 8    the  extent  that  any  hospital  provider contract, which is
 9    renewed or entered into on or after 180  days  following  the
10    effective  date  of  this  amendatory  Act  of 1987, fails to
11    incorporate such provisions, such provisions shall be  deemed
12    incorporated  into  such  contracts by operation of law as of
13    the date of such renewal or execution.
14        (b) Providers and their assignees or subcontractors shall
15    not seek any type of payment from, bill,  charge,  collect  a
16    deposit  from,  or  have  any  recourse against the enrollee,
17    persons acting on  the  enrollee's  behalf  (other  than  the
18    organization), the employer, or the group contract holder for
19    services  provided  pursuant  to  a  contract, except for the
20    payment of applicable copayments or deductibles for  services
21    covered  by the organization or fees for services not covered
22    by the organization.
23        (c) Any  collection  or  attempt  to  collect  moneys  or
24    maintain   action  against  any  subscriber  or  enrollee  as
25    prohibited in subsection (b) may be reported to the  Director
26    by any person.  A person making such a report shall be immune
27    from  liability  for  doing  so.  Within  14  days  after the
28    Director's receipt of a report  under  this  subsection,  the
29    Director  shall provide a written notice of the report to the
30    reported  provider's  licensing  or  disciplinary  board   or
31    committee.
32        (d)  The  Director shall maintain a record of all notices
33    to licensing or disciplinary boards or committees pursuant to
34    this Section.  This record shall be provided  to  any  person
                            -3-                LRB9011013JSmg
 1    within 14 days of the Director's receipt of a written request
 2    for the record.
 3        (e)   The   Director  shall  require  that  the  provider
 4    reimburse, with interest at the rate of  8%  per  annum,  the
 5    subscriber  or  enrollee  for  any  prohibited  collection of
 6    moneys described in  subsection (b).
 7        (f) The Department, any person, or any health maintenance
 8    organization  may  pursue   injunctive   relief   to   ensure
 9    compliance with this Section.
10        (g)(b)  All  provider  and  subcontractor  contracts must
11    contain provisions  whereby  the  provider  or  subcontractor
12    shall  provide,  arrange  for,  or participate in the quality
13    assurance programs mandated by this Act, unless the  Illinois
14    Department of Public Health certifies that such programs will
15    be fully implemented without any participation or action from
16    such contracting provider.
17        (h)(c)  The  Director may promulgate rules requiring that
18    provider contracts contain provisions  concerning  reasonable
19    notices   to  be  given  between  the  parties  and  for  the
20    organization to provide reasonable notice  to  its  enrollees
21    and  to  the Director.  Notice shall be given for such events
22    as, but not limited to, termination of insurance  protection,
23    quality assurance or availability of medical care.
24    (Source: P.A. 86-620.)
25        Section 10.  The Medical Patient Rights Act is amended by
26    changing Section 4 and adding Section 3.3 as follows:
27        (410 ILCS 50/3.3 new)
28        Sec. 3.3.  Prohibed billing practices.
29        (a)    Health   care  providers,  physicians,  and  their
30    assignees or  subcontractors  shall  not  seek  any  type  of
31    payment  from,  bill, charge, collect a deposit from, or have
32    any recourse against an insured patient,  persons  acting  on
                            -4-                LRB9011013JSmg
 1    the  insured  patient's  behalf  (other  than  the  insurance
 2    company or health services corporation), the employer, or the
 3    group  contract  holder  for  services provided pursuant to a
 4    contract in which an insurance  company  or  health  services
 5    corporation  has  contractually  agreed  with  a  health care
 6    provider or  physician  that  the  health  care  provider  or
 7    physician  does not have such a right, except for the payment
 8    of applicable copayments or deductibles for services  covered
 9    by  the  insurance  company or health services corporation or
10    fees for services not covered by  the  insurance  company  or
11    health services corporation.
12        (b)   The   Director   of  Insurance  shall  enforce  the
13    provisions of this Section.
14        (c)  Any collection  or  attempt  to  collect  moneys  or
15    maintain  action against any insured patient as prohibited in
16    subsection (a)  may  be  reported  to  the  Director  of  the
17    Department  of  Insurance  by any person.   Any person making
18    such a report shall be immune from liability  for  doing  so.
19    Within  14  days  of the Director's receipt of a report under
20    this Section, the Director shall provide a written notice  of
21    the   report  to  the  reported  health  care  provider's  or
22    physician's licensing or disciplinary board or committee.
23        (d) The Director shall maintain a record of  all  notices
24    to licensing or disciplinary boards or committees pursuant to
25    this  Section.   This  record shall be provided to any person
26    within 14 days of the Director's receipt of a written request
27    for the record.
28        (e) The Director  shall  require  that  the  health  care
29    provider  or  physician reimburse, with interest at a rate of
30    8%  per  annum,  the  insured  patient  for  any   prohibited
31    collection of moneys described in this Section.
32        (f)   The  Department, any insured patient, any insurance
33    company,  or  any  health  services  corporation  may  pursue
34    injunctive relief to ensure compliance with this  Section  in
                            -5-                LRB9011013JSmg
 1    addition to the penalties provided for under this Act.
 2        (410 ILCS 50/4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 5404)
 3        Sec.  4.  Any  physician  or  health  care  provider that
 4    violates a patient's rights as set forth in subparagraph  (a)
 5    of  Section 3 or Section 3.3 is guilty of a petty offense and
 6    shall be fined $500 per incident. Any  insurance  company  or
 7    health  service  corporation that violates a patient's rights
 8    as set forth in subparagraph (b) of Section 3 is guilty of  a
 9    petty  offense  and  shall  be  fined  $1,000. Any physician,
10    health  care  provider,  health   services   corporation   or
11    insurance  company  that  violates  a patient's rights as set
12    forth in subsection (c) of Section 3 is  guilty  of  a  petty
13    offense and shall be fined $1,000.
14    (Source: P.A. 86-902.)

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