Healthcare

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Makes changes to defined terms. Replaces references to Primary Stroke Centers with Stroke Centers. Provides that a hospital that no longer meets nationally recognized, evidence-based standards for Stroke Centers, loses its Stroke Center certification, or has any change to its designation level shall notify the Department of Public Health and the Regional EMS Advisory Committee within 5 business days. Requires the Department to consult with the State Stroke Advisory Subcommittee for the adoption or deletion of approved stroke designation levels. Provides that the approved stroke designation levels shall coincide with the stroke designation levels recognized by Department-approved certifying bodies. Requires the Department to establish reporting requirements for designated Stroke Centers to capture information using new or existing electronic reporting tools for statewide data collection and certification purposes. Removes provisions concerning previous Stroke Center designations. Makes other changes.

Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act. Provides that an assisted living establishment or a shared housing establishment shall only make referrals to its residents for home services providers that are licensed under the Home Health, Home Services, and Home Nursing Agency Licensing Act. Establishes penalties for violating the referral requirement. Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act, the Community Living Facilities Licensing Act, and the Life Care Facilities Act to require that the Department of Public Health to distribute to each establishment or facility a one-page, 8.5 by 11 inch public safety announcement flyer in at least 12-point type and that the each establishment or facility post the flyer in a prominent location for all visitors to see. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act. Requires direct service workers employed by the Department of Human Services, or an agency contracted with the Department, to provide services under the Home Services Program to complete at least 2 hours of dementia training at the start of their employment and annually thereafter. Requires the training to cover subjects concerning Alzheimer's disease and dementia, safety risks, and communication and behavior. Requires the Department to provide contractors with dementia training curriculum on the required subjects. Provides that any other laws or rules that impose more rigorous dementia training for direct service workers under the Home Services Program shall apply. Exempts from the training requirements direct service workers who provide proof that they obtained equivalent dementia training in compliance with another law or rule. For personal assistants covered by a collective bargaining agreement, requires the Department to establish, in consultation with the joint training committee created under the collective bargaining agreement, different parameters and specific topics for curriculum covering dementia training.

Amends the Limited Health Service Organization Act. Makes changes to defined terms. In provisions concerning the offering of a point-of-sale contract by a limited health service organization (LHSO), removes a provision requiring the LHSO to include an annual maximum benefit allowance not to exceed $2,500 per year that is separate from any limits or allowances applied to in-plan services. Provides that, if an LHSO expends in any calendar quarter more than 20% of its total limited health services expenditures for all its members for out-of-plan covered services, then specified limitations shall not apply subject to the LHSO minimum capital and surplus requirements applicable to a life, accident, and health insurance company. Makes other changes.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In a provision concerning coverage of certain cancer screenings, adds having a high level of CA-125, as indicated by a blood test screening, to the definition of "at risk for ovarian cancer". Provides that "surveillance tests for ovarian cancer" means all medically viable methods for the detection and diagnosis of ovarian cancer, including, but not limited to, ultrasounds, magnetic resonance imagings (MRIs), x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and CA-125 blood test screenings (instead of an annual screening using (i) CA-125 serum tumor marker testing, (ii) transvaginal ultrasound, (iii) pelvic examination). Effective January 1, 2028.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Sets forth provisions requiring an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance amended, delivered, issued, or renewed in this State on or after January 1, 2028 to provide coverage for up to a 12-month supply of prescription hormone therapy, and the necessary supplies for self-administration, that is prescribed by a network provider within the provider's scope of practice and dispensed at one time for an enrollee by a provider or pharmacist, or at a location licensed or otherwise authorized to dispense drugs or supplies. Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a dispensing provider or pharmacist shall dispense, at a patient's request, up to a 12-month supply of a prescription hormone therapy and the necessary supplies for self-administration pursuant to a valid prescription that specifies an initial quantity followed by periodic refills, except as specified. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 and the Illinois Public Aid Code to require coverage under the provisions of those Acts.

Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act, the MC/DD Act, and the ID/DD Community Care Act. Provides that notice of closure of an establishment or facility licensed under those Acts shall be given to the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman.

Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Defines "pathogens of epidemiological concern". Provides that each hospital shall develop and implement comprehensive interventions to prevent and control pathogens of epidemiological concern (instead of multidrug-resistant organisms) that take into consideration guidelines of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or recommendations from the Infectious Disease Society of America, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, or the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society for the management of multidrug-resistant organisms in health care settings. Within 12 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act, requires each hospital to adopt a policy for preventing and controlling the transmission of pathogens of epidemiological concern. Establishes reporting requirements for hospitals with patients carrying pathogens of epidemiological concern. Repeals the MRSA Screening and Reporting Act.

Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Makes changes to findings and defined terms provisions. Provides that a hospital shall not deny any protection or benefit of the Act on the basis of a patient's citizenship or immigration status or assets or prospective assets. Provides that a patient who inquires about a denial of financial assistance in whole or in part must be permitted to appeal the decision within at least 90 days. Requires a hospital to use only a uniform financial assistance form developed and provided by the Attorney General no later than December 31, 2026. Provides that every hospital bill and every collection notice must notify the patient, in the patient's preferred language, of the availability of hospital financial assistance and charity care. Establishes further provisions concerning hospitals pursuing collection actions; outsourced health care services; patient responsibilities; and applicability of the Act. Amends the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act. Sets forth provisions concerning uninsured patient discounts for specified income levels. Prohibits hospitals from making the availability of a discount under the Act contingent upon the uninsured patient first applying for coverage under public health insurance programs. Provides that patients may not be denied a discount under the Act on the basis of citizenship or immigration status or assets or prospective assets. Makes other changes concerning uninsured patient discounts, outsourcing health care services, and patient responsibilities. Effective immediately.

Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. In provisions concerning hospitals and their agents pursuing collection actions, provides that, for any legal action initiated against a patient for unpaid medical debt, a hospital may not file for or be granted a lien upon that patient's primary residence or on any other real property owned by the patient. Effective January 1, 2027.