Healthcare

Amends the Underserved Health Care Provider Workforce Act. Changes the definition of "designated shortage area" to mean an area designated as a medically underserved area or a health professional shortage area (rather than a physician shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a critical health manpower shortage area). Changes the term "eligible medical student" to "eligible student", and includes in the definition of that term a person who is studying optometry in an optometry college or institution located in Illinois and that a person may agree to practice full-time in a designated shortage area as an optometrist or anesthesiologist one year for each year he or she is a scholarship recipient. Includes a rural health center, a federally qualified health center, a federally qualified health center look alike, and an optometric office in the definition of "medical facility". Includes an optometrist in the definition of "eligible health care provider". Includes an obstetrician or gynecologist in the definition of "primary care physician". Includes loan repayment recipients in a provision regarding scholarship recipients who fail to fulfill specified obligations, and provides that the amounts paid by these scholarship or loan repayment recipients shall be deposited into the fund where the payment originated from (rather than the Community Health Center Care Fund). Repeals a different provision defining "primary care physician". Effective January 1, 2026.

Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, to submit the necessary application to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to amend the State's home and community-based services waiver programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities to provide coverage under the Home-Based Services Program for any therapeutic recreation programs offered by park districts, health clubs, and community colleges.

Amends the Comprehensive Healthcare Workforce Planning Act. Requires the State Healthcare Workforce Council to coordinate the State's health workforce education and training to develop a health workforce that meets the State's health care needs. Requires the Council to work with graduate medical education and training programs, health professions, and consumer representatives to address specified issues. Amends the Board of Higher Education Act. Requires the Board of Higher Education to establish a program to provide: (1) funding for medical residency positions that are not funded by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or other established funding source; (2) technical assistance for entities that wish to establish a residency program; and (3) startup funding for entities that wish to establish a residency program. Sets forth provisions concerning the application process and priority. Requires the Board to establish an application process for an entity seeking funding. Provides that the State Healthcare Workforce Council shall provide information annually to the Board related to workforce shortages to assist in the development of the application and shall be responsible for reviewing applications and making recommendations to the Board regarding funding recipients. Creates the Medical Residency Education Fund to expand graduate medical education opportunities in the State and maximize the delivery of medical care and physician services to specific areas of the State where there is a recognized unmet priority need for medical care and physician services. Makes other changes. Makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act.

Urges the State to increase reimbursement rates, state grants and contracts, and the minimum overhead allowance to meet the rising costs of providing essential human services in Illinois and supporting the workers who deliver those services.

Expresses opposition to the Trump healthcare cuts, which fundamentally undermine the basic dignity and financial security of working families across the country. Calls upon the United States Senate to immediately table the Trump healthcare cuts bill and instead pursue reforms such as the Illinois' Healthcare Protection Act to make healthcare more accessible and more affordable.

Amends the Telehealth Act. Adds acupuncturist to providers included in the meaning of "health care professional". Amends the Acupuncture Practice Act. Provides that the standard of care for a patient under the Act shall be the same whether a patient is seen in person, through telemedicine, or through another method of electronically-enabled health care. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, by rule, to determine the appropriate acupuncture services allowed via telemedicine in consultation with the Board of Acupuncture. Provides that a person who engages in the practice of telemedicine without a license issued under the Act shall be subject to the penalties provided in the Act. Provides that, if the Department has reason to believe that a person has violated the provisions regarding telemedicine, the Department may issue a rule to show cause stating the reasons why an order to cease and desist should not be entered against the person. Provides that the rule shall clearly set forth the grounds relied upon by the Department and shall provide the person with a period of 7 days after the date of the rule to file an answer to the satisfaction of the Department. Provides that failure to answer to the satisfaction of the Department shall cause an order to cease and desist to be issued immediately. Provides that a person residing out-of-state that provides services through telemedicine to a patient residing in the State submits himself or herself to the jurisdiction of the Department and the courts of the State.

Amends the Personnel Code. Provides that certain provisions related to probationary separation, term appointments, and veterans hospital visits are subject to Jurisdiction B. Changes references to veterans hospital visits to references to veterans medical appointments. Provides that an employee who is also a veteran shall be permitted 4 days per year to receive medical care authorized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, at any type of health care provider or health care facility (rather than permitted 4 days per year to visit a veterans hospital or clinic), for examination or treatment (rather than for examination) of a military service-connected condition (rather than service-connected disability).

Amends the Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights Act. Provides that any intergovernmental joint self-insurance pool providing health benefits under a specified provision of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act shall not be included under the definition of "health care plan". Effective immediately.

Creates the Complex Wheelchair Right to Repair Act. Provides that, for complex wheelchairs and parts for complex wheelchairs sold or used in the State, an original equipment manufacturer shall make available to an independent repair provider, solely for the purpose of repairing complex wheelchairs, on fair and reasonable terms, any documentation, parts, service access methods, and tools, including, but not limited to, any updates to information, firmware, or embedded software that is needed for purposes of repair of complex wheelchairs and training courses and materials on the operation, inspection, diagnosis, maintenance, and repair of complex wheelchairs. Provides that a violation of any of the provisions of the Act is an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides for penalties. Provides that nothing in the Act shall require an original equipment manufacturer to divulge a trade secret to an independent repair provider. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change. Effective January 1, 2024.

Amends the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act. Defines "acute sexual assault" as a sexual assault that has recently occurred within a specified time. Replaces various references to "sexual assault" with "acute sexual assault". Deletes the definition of "prepubescent sexual assault survivor". Changes provisions regarding hospitals located in counties with a population of less than 1,000,000 and within a 20-mile radius of a 4-year public university with respect to a sexual assault treatment plan approved by the Department of Public Health. Makes changes in various provisions concerning plans of correction and penalties for hospitals that commit specified violations of the Act. In provisions regarding requirements for medical forensic services, provides that the provisions of the Act are not intended to prohibit a qualified medical provider from offering an Illinois Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit to a sexual assault survivor who presents at a treatment hospital or approved pediatric health care facility with a nonacute complaint of sexual assault if there is a compelling reason for evidence collection, or upon the request of the survivor. In provisions regarding the prohibition on billing sexual assault survivors directly for certain services, changes references to the Office of the Attorney General to references to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.