State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ House Amendment 002 ][ Senate Amendment 001 ]

91_SB0646sam002

 










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 1                    AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 646

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend Senate Bill 646,  AS  AMENDED,
 3    by  replacing  everything  after the enacting clause with the
 4    following:

 5        "Section 5.  The Illinois Health Facilities Planning  Act
 6    is  amended  by  adding  Sections  13.5,  13.9, 13.10, 13.15,
 7    13.20, 13.25, 13.30, and 13.35 as follows:

 8        (20 ILCS 3960/13.5 new)
 9        Sec. 13.5.  Health care provider cooperative agreements.
10        The General Assembly finds that the goals of  controlling
11    health  care costs and improving the quality of and access to
12    health care services will be significantly enhanced  by  some
13    cooperative  arrangements  involving  providers that might be
14    prohibited by State and federal antitrust laws if  undertaken
15    without   governmental   involvement.    Both  currently  and
16    historically Illinois, other states, and  the  United  States
17    have determined that unrestricted marketplace competition may
18    not produce the optimum mix of cost, access, and quality that
19    can  be achieved in health care. The purpose of Sections 13.5
20    through 13.35 is to create an opportunity for  the  State  to
21    review proposed arrangements and to substitute regulation for
22    competition  when an arrangement is likely to result in lower
 
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 1    costs, or greater access, or  improved  quality,  than  would
 2    otherwise  occur in the competitive marketplace.  The General
 3    Assembly  intends   that   approval   of   relationships   be
 4    accompanied   by  appropriate  conditions,  supervision,  and
 5    regulation to protect  against  private  abuses  of  economic
 6    power,  and  that  an arrangement or relationship approved by
 7    the  Attorney  General   and   accompanied   by   appropriate
 8    conditions,  supervision, and regulation shall not be subject
 9    to State or federal antitrust liability.
10        The General Assembly finds that  the  market  for  health
11    care  services  is extremely diverse in Illinois.  Some parts
12    of Illinois are national  destinations  for  tertiary  health
13    care services and receive patients from throughout the United
14    States and the Western Hemisphere.  Other regions of Illinois
15    have  extraordinary  rates  of  outmigration,  with residents
16    traveling hundreds of miles, often  out-of-state,  for  care.
17    Providing  health care close to home is medically useful to a
18    patient's recovery, because visits of  families  and  friends
19    can  improve  a patient's psycho-social capacity to cope with
20    disease.  Providing incentives to increase  quality  care  in
21    areas without it is desirable.

22        (20 ILCS 3960/13.9 new)
23        Sec. 13.9.  Regional application.
24        (a)  The provisions of this law shall apply to any region
25    in Illinois where the following health care conditions exist:
26             (1)  in  any area of at least 25 contiguous counties
27        containing at least  20  facilities  licensed  under  the
28        Hospital Licensing Act;
29             (2)  where  during  the  calendar year preceding the
30        effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General
31        Assembly, no facility has been  approved  or  received  a
32        permit  to establish neo-natal intensive care, open-heart
33        surgery, level-one trauma, or organ transplantation;
 
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 1             (3)  where  at  least  50%  of  residents  receiving
 2        open-heart surgery procedures at Illinois hospitals  must
 3        travel at least 75 miles; and
 4             (4)  where  no  Illinois  university  with a medical
 5        school has a primary medical  school  campus  within  100
 6        miles of the most distant point in the region.
 7        (b)  For  purposes  of  this  law,  health care providers
 8    shall include any institution or individual licensed  by  the
 9    State  under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 or the Hospital
10    Licensing Act.

11        (20 ILCS 3960/13.10 new)
12        Sec. 13.10.  Health care provider cooperative agreements;
13    goals.  Acting by their boards  of  directors  or  boards  of
14    trustees  or as individuals, 2 or more health care providers,
15    at least one of which must be  licensed  under  the  Hospital
16    Licensing   Act,  may  enter  into  a  cooperative  agreement
17    concerning the allocation of health care equipment or  health
18    care  services  among  themselves  for the provision of major
19    medical procedures such  as  open  heart  surgery,  neo-natal
20    intensive  care,  level one trauma, or organ transplantation.
21    The agreement shall not  involve  price-fixing  or  predatory
22    pricing  and  shall be designed to achieve one or more of the
23    following goals:
24             (1)  Reducing  health  care   costs   for   Illinois
25        consumers.
26             (2)  Improving  access  to  health  care services in
27        Illinois.
28             (3)  Improving  the  quality  of  patient  care   in
29        Illinois.

30        (20 ILCS 3960/13.15 new )
31        Sec. 13.15.  Health care provider cooperative agreements;
32    approval.
 
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 1        (a)  No   cooperative   agreement   between  health  care
 2    providers implemented without first obtaining a review by the
 3    Health  Facilities  Planning  Board  and  approval  from  the
 4    Attorney  General  as  provided  in  this  Section  shall  be
 5    eligible for any protection or immunity  created  by  Section
 6    13.30.
 7        (b)  Health   care  providers  desiring  to  implement  a
 8    cooperative agreement authorized under Section 13.10  and  to
 9    obtain  the  antitrust  exception  provided  by Section 13.30
10    shall apply to the  Attorney  General  for  approval  of  the
11    agreement.  Applications  for  approval  shall  be  in a form
12    prescribed by the Attorney General but shall contain at least
13    the following:
14             (1)  A verified copy of the proposed agreement.
15             (2)  An implementation plan that states how and when
16        the cooperative action identified in the  agreement  will
17        meet one or more of the goals specified in Section 13.10,
18        and how the benefits will outweigh any negatives.
19             (3)  A statement of any consideration received or to
20        be received under the proposed agreement.
21        (c)  Each  application  shall  be  accompanied  by  a fee
22    determined  by  the  Attorney  General,  but  in  an   amount
23    sufficient  to  cover the cost of processing the application.
24    All payments made to the Attorney General  pursuant  to  this
25    Section  shall  be deposited into the Attorney General Health
26    Care Cooperative Agreement and Antitrust Enforcement Fund,  a
27    special  fund  created  in  the State treasury. Moneys in the
28    fund  shall  be  used  subject  to  appropriation   for   the
29    performance of any function pertaining to the exercise of the
30    duties of the Attorney General in carrying out the provisions
31    of this Act.
32        (d)  The  Attorney  General  shall  adopt  rules  for the
33    operation of  this  Act  under  the  Illinois  Administrative
34    Procedure  Act.  The  General Assembly finds that the current
 
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 1    health care situation constitutes an emergency  for  purposes
 2    of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.  Therefore, the
 3    Attorney  General  may  implement  the provisions of Sections
 4    13.5 through 13.30 by emergency rulemaking under the Illinois
 5    Administrative Procedure Act.
 6        (e)  The rules shall require applicants to provide  clear
 7    and convincing evidence in the application demonstrating that
 8    quality,  cost, or access improvements cannot be accomplished
 9    by the applicants without the agreement.
10        (f)  A copy of an application submitted to  the  Attorney
11    General  pursuant  to  subsection (b) shall simultaneously be
12    submitted to the  Health  Facilities  Planning  Board,  which
13    shall  hold public hearings on the application.  The hearings
14    may be combined with hearings relating to  the  provision  by
15    the State Board of a Certificate of Need, if applicable.  The
16    State  Board shall issue a report, including findings of fact
17    and recommendations, and provide it, together with  a  record
18    of  proceedings,  to the Attorney General as expeditiously as
19    possible.
20        (g)  Upon receiving a report and recommendations from the
21    Health Facilities Planning Board, the  Attorney  General  may
22    approve  an  agreement  if  he  or  she  finds  by  clear and
23    convincing evidence that its implementation will lead to  the
24    improvements  in  cost,  access,  or quality described in the
25    application, that these improvements are likely  to  outweigh
26    any  probable  negative  results, that predatory pricing will
27    not occur, and that the agreement is in the public  interest.
28       (h)  The  Attorney  General  may condition his approval of
29    the agreement upon terms he or she finds necessary to protect
30    consumers and to be in the public interest.

31        (20 ILCS 3960/13.20 new)
32        Sec. 13.20.  Health care provider cooperative agreements;
33    annual review. The Attorney General shall  require  from  the
 
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 1    parties  to  a  cooperative agreement annual progress reports
 2    concerning the implementation of the agreement.  The  reports
 3    shall  contain any information and be accompanied by any fees
 4    that are required by rule.
 5        A copy of each report shall simultaneously be filed  with
 6    the  Health  Facilities Planning Board, which shall review it
 7    and make recommendations to the Attorney General.

 8        (20 ILCS 3960/13.25 new)
 9        Sec. 13.25.  Health care provider cooperative agreements;
10    rescinding approval.  If the Attorney General finds that  any
11    of  the  following circumstances exist, he or she may issue a
12    decision  rescinding  his  or  her  approval  of  a  hospital
13    cooperative agreement:
14             (1)  The parties to the  agreement  fail  to  submit
15        annual progress reports;
16             (2)  Materially misleading information was submitted
17        in  the  application or in any subsequent report filed by
18        the parties with the Health Facilities Planning Board and
19        the Attorney General pursuant to this Act;
20             (3)  The  parties  have  failed  to  implement   the
21        agreement with due diligence;
22             (4)  The  agreement  has  failed  to  accomplish its
23        purposes as described in the application; or
24             (5)  The Attorney General has subsequently found  by
25        substantial  evidence  that the benefits of the agreement
26        do not substantially outweigh the negative results.

27        (20 ILCS 3960/13.30 new)
28        Sec. 13.30.  Health care provider cooperative agreements;
29    antitrust exception.
30        (a)  Neither this subsection nor any other  provision  of
31    this  Act  is  intended  to  confer,  and  does  not  confer,
32    authority   to  engage  in  agreements,  tacit,  implied,  or
 
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 1    express, which are not submitted to the Attorney General  for
 2    approval,  if  those  agreements are in violation of State or
 3    federal antitrust laws.  Conduct seemingly  pursuant  to  the
 4    provisions  of this law done without the good faith intention
 5    to accomplish an agreement approved by the  Attorney  General
 6    is  not  entitled  to  the protections and immunities of this
 7    Section 13.30.
 8        (b)  It is the  intent  of  Sections  13.5  through  this
 9    Section  to  require  the State, through the Attorney General
10    and  the  Health  Facilities  Planning  Board,   to   provide
11    direction,   supervision,   and   control   over  cooperative
12    agreements approved under  Section  13.15.   To  achieve  the
13    goals  specified  in  Section  13.10,  this  State direction,
14    supervision, and control will provide immunity from any civil
15    or criminal liability under the Illinois  Antitrust  Act  and
16    state-action  immunity  under  federal  antitrust laws to (i)
17    health care providers, their  governing  board  members,  and
18    their  officers,  agents,  and  employees who take authorized
19    actions to implement a cooperative agreement  approved  under
20    Section 13.15 and (ii) health care providers' governing board
21    members   who  participate  in  discussions  or  negotiations
22    concerning the allocation of health care equipment or  health
23    care services as authorized under Section 13.10.

24        (20 ILCS 3960/13.35 new)
25        Sec.    13.35.  Health    care   providers'   cooperative
26    agreements; Attorney General  action.   Nothing  in  Sections
27    13.5  through 13.30 shall limit the authority of the Attorney
28    General to  initiate  an  action  to  enforce  the  civil  or
29    criminal  liability provisions of the Illinois Antitrust Act,
30    or to take any other measures that he or she deems necessary,
31    if  the  Attorney  General  determines  that  a  health  care
32    provider,  the  members  of  its  governing  board,  or   its
33    officers, agents, or employees have exceeded the scope of the
 
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 1    actions  authorized  under  those  Sections,  have  failed to
 2    comply  with  the  terms  and  conditions  of  an   agreement
 3    authorized  under  Section   13.15,  or have failed to comply
 4    with the reporting requirements of Section 13.20.
 5        The Attorney General is authorized to  use  the  subpoena
 6    and  investigative  powers  available to him or her under the
 7    Illinois Antitrust Act and the Consumer Fraud  and  Deceptive
 8    Practices  Act  to  facilitate  his  or  her  review  of  any
 9    application  or  report  submitted  to him or her pursuant to
10    Sections  13.15  and  13.20,  and  to  investigate   possible
11    violations of Sections 13.5 through 13.30 of the Act.

12        Section  10.  The  State Finance Act is amended by adding
13    Section 5.490 as follows:

14        (30 ILCS 105/5.490 new)
15        Sec. 5.490.  The Attorney General Health Care Cooperative
16    Agreement and Antitrust Enforcement Fund.

17        Section 15.  The Illinois Antitrust  Act  is  amended  by
18    changing Section 5 as follows:

19        (740 ILCS 10/5) (from Ch. 38, par. 60-5)
20        Sec.  5.  No provisions of this Act shall be construed to
21    make illegal:
22        (1)  the activities  of  any  labor  organization  or  of
23    individual members thereof which are directed solely to labor
24    objectives  which are legitimate under the laws of either the
25    State of Illinois or the United States;
26        (2)  the activities of any agricultural or  horticultural
27    cooperative    organization,    whether    incorporated    or
28    unincorporated,  or  of individual members thereof, which are
29    directed   solely   to   objectives   of   such   cooperative
30    organizations which are legitimate under the laws  of  either
 
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 1    the State of Illinois or the United States;
 2        (3)  the  activities of any public utility, as defined in
 3    Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act to the extent  that
 4    such  activities  are  subject  to  a clearly articulated and
 5    affirmatively expressed State policy to  replace  competition
 6    with regulation, where the conduct to be exempted is actively
 7    supervised by the State itself;
 8        (4)  The  activities  of a telecommunications carrier, as
 9    defined in Section 13-202 of the Public Utilities Act, to the
10    extent  those  activities  relate   to   the   provision   of
11    noncompetitive  telecommunications  services under the Public
12    Utilities Act and are subject  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the
13    Illinois   Commerce   Commission  or  to  the  activities  of
14    telephone mutual concerns referred to in  Section  13-202  of
15    the  Public  Utilities  Act  to  the  extent those activities
16    relate to the provision and maintenance of telephone  service
17    to owners and customers;
18        (5)  the  activities  (including, but not limited to, the
19    making of or participating in  joint  underwriting  or  joint
20    reinsurance  arrangement)  of  any  insurer, insurance agent,
21    insurance broker, independent insurance  adjuster  or  rating
22    organization  to  the extent that such activities are subject
23    to regulation by the Director  of  Insurance  of  this  State
24    under,  or  are permitted or are authorized by, the Insurance
25    Code or any other law of this State;
26        (6)  the  religious  and  charitable  activities  of  any
27    not-for-profit corporation, trust or organization established
28    exclusively for religious or charitable purposes, or for both
29    purposes;
30        (7)  the activities  of  any  not-for-profit  corporation
31    organized  to  provide  telephone  service  on  a  mutual  or
32    co-operative  basis  or  electrification  on  a  co-operative
33    basis,  to the extent such activities relate to the marketing
34    and distribution of telephone or electrical service to owners
 
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 1    and customers;
 2        (8)  the activities engaged in by securities dealers  who
 3    are  (i) licensed by the State of Illinois or (ii) members of
 4    the National  Association  of  Securities  Dealers  or  (iii)
 5    members  of  any National Securities Exchange registered with
 6    the Securities and Exchange Commission under  the  Securities
 7    Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended, in the course of their
 8    business  of  offering,  selling,  buying  and  selling,   or
 9    otherwise  trading  in  or underwriting securities, as agent,
10    broker,  or  principal,  and  activities  of   any   National
11    Securities    Exchange    so    registered,   including   the
12    establishment of commission rates and schedules of charges;
13        (9)  the activities of any board of trade designated as a
14    "contract market" by the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  of  the
15    United States pursuant to Section 5 of the Commodity Exchange
16    Act, as amended;
17        (10)  the  activities of any motor carrier, rail carrier,
18    or common carrier by  pipeline,  as  defined  in  the  Common
19    Carrier  by  Pipeline Law of the Public Utilities Act, to the
20    extent that such activities are permitted  or  authorized  by
21    the Act or are subject to regulation by the Illinois Commerce
22    Commission;
23        (11)  the activities of any state or national bank to the
24    extent  that  such  activities are regulated or supervised by
25    officers of the state or federal government under the banking
26    laws of this State or the United States;
27        (12)  the activities of any state or federal savings  and
28    loan  association  to  the  extent  that  such activities are
29    regulated or supervised by officers of the state  or  federal
30    government  under  the savings and loan laws of this State or
31    the United States;
32        (13)  the activities  of  any  bona  fide  not-for-profit
33    association, society or board, of attorneys, practitioners of
34    medicine,  architects,  engineers,  land  surveyors  or  real
 
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 1    estate  brokers  licensed  and  regulated by an agency of the
 2    State of Illinois, in  recommending  schedules  of  suggested
 3    fees,  rates  or  commissions for use solely as guidelines in
 4    determining charges for professional and technical services;
 5        (14)  Conduct involving trade  or  commerce  (other  than
 6    import trade or import commerce) with foreign nations unless:
 7             (a)  such  conduct  has  a  direct, substantial, and
 8        reasonably foreseeable effect:
 9                  (i)  on trade or commerce which is not trade or
10             commerce with foreign nations, or on import trade or
11             import commerce with foreign nations; or
12                  (ii)  on export trade or export  commerce  with
13             foreign nations of a person engaged in such trade or
14             commerce in the United States; and
15             (b)  such  effect  gives  rise  to a claim under the
16        provisions of this Act, other than this subsection (14).
17             (c)  If this Act applies to conduct referred  to  in
18        this  subsection  (14)  only because of the provisions of
19        paragraph (a)(ii), then this  Act  shall  apply  to  such
20        conduct  only for injury to export business in the United
21        States which affects this State; or
22        (15)  the activities of a unit  of  local  government  or
23    school  district  and the activities of the employees, agents
24    and officers of a unit of local government or school district
25    ; or
26        (16)  the activities of a health care  provider  and  the
27    activities  of  its governing board members and its officers,
28    agents, and employees in  discussing,  negotiating,  entering
29    into,  or implementing a cooperative agreement concerning the
30    allocation of health care equipment or health  care  services
31    resulting  in  one  or  more proposals or agreements that are
32    approved by the Attorney General,  or  if  submitted  to  the
33    Attorney  General  might  reasonably  have  been approved, as
34    authorized under Sections 13.5 through 13.35 of the  Illinois
 
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 1    Health Facilities Planning Act.
 2    (Source: P.A. 90-185, eff. 7-23-97; 90-561, eff. 12-16-97.)".

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