Healthcare

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall provide coverage for hippotherapy and other forms of therapeutic riding. Makes conforming changes in the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, and the Health Maintenance Organization Act.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 shall provide coverage for the cost of a karyotype test or related hormone testing to diagnose Klinefelter syndrome. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to require coverage under those provisions.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Public Health is vested with the duty and responsibility for oversight and training connected with the use of the Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form at all hospitals, healthcare facilities, and other facilities and providers that use the Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall develop, in consultation with stakeholders determined by the Director of Public Health, training resources to support informed decisions and accurate completion of the Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall establish a simple, efficient, and effective process to ensure oversight of and accountability for training to support informed decisions and accurate completion of the Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form at all hospitals, healthcare facilities, and other facilities and providers that use the Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form. Provides that, in consultation with various organizations, the Department of Public Health shall adopt rules implementing these policies no later than 2 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health, in connection with implementing these policies, may also consult with the Office of the Secretary of State with respect to the Advance Directive Registry established by the Secretary of State.

Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that a hospital licensed under the Act must, at the time a patient is being checked in, give the patient an opportunity to designate an emergency contact to be notified if the patient dies or experiences a significant change in condition. If an emergency contact is designated, hospital staff must communicate with the emergency contact and ask whether the emergency contact would prefer to be notified by telephone call, by hospital staff when the emergency contact reaches the hospital, or by some other method.

Amends the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act. Provides that an employer shall provide 30 minutes of paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her nursing infant child each time the employee has the need to express milk for one year after the child's birth. Provides that the employee may use other paid break time or meal time for any time needed in excess of 30 minutes. Provides that an employer shall provide paid break time (rather than reasonable break time) as needed by the employee unless to do so would create an undue hardship.

Amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no health insurer may charge a patient out-of-network rates for neonatal care at any hospital.

Creates the First Responder Trauma-Informed Response Training Act, which may be referred to as Anna's Law. Provides that, prior to the onboarding processes of a first responder, the individual must complete mandatory pass or fail trauma-informed response training, as established by the Department of Public Health. Provides that a first responder must also complete the pass or fail trauma-informed response training every 18 months after beginning work as a first responder. Provides that, if more than 18 months have elapsed after beginning work as a first responder and the first responder has not completed the retraining, the first responder may not perform trauma-related duties, such as responding to emergency calls, taking statements from victims, or interviewing victims. Provides that, if a first responder who is certified or licensed by the State or a subdivision of the State has not completed the required trauma-informed response retraining, the first responder may be decertified by the certifying entity or the first responder's license may be revoked by the licensing entity if retraining is not completed. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Defines terms. Makes conforming changes in the Illinois Police Training Act and the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, including requiring the Department of Public Health to adopt rules to implement the trauma-informed response training and providing that the rules may allow or require the use of a training program from a university, college, or not-for-profit entity.

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that no provision of the Illinois Insurance Code, or any other law, prohibits assignability rights to an insured under any policy of dental insurance (in addition to accident and health insurance). Provides that if an enrollee or insured of an insurer, health maintenance organization, managed care plan, health care plan, preferred provider organization, dental service plan corporation, dental insurer, or third party administrator assigns a claim to a health care professional, or health care facility, a dental care provider, or a dental care facility, then payment shall be made directly to the health care professional, or health care facility, dental care provider, or dental care facility, including any required interest. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois State Police Law. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, all 9-1-1 telecommunicators who provide dispatch for emergency medical conditions shall be required to be trained, utilizing the most current nationally recognized emergency cardiovascular care guidelines, in high-quality telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR). Defines telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation for the purposes of the provisions.

Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Changes the repeal date of the Illinois Dental Practice Act from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2036. Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act. In the definition of "branches of dentistry", adds oral and maxillofacial pathology, dental public health, oral medicine, and orofacial pain to the included specialties. Creates a temporary dental hygiene license for dental students who meet certain requirements. Provides that a licensee holding a temporary dental hygiene license must practice under the supervision of a dentist. Provides that the temporary dental hygiene license is active for one year from its issuance date. Changes the implementation deadline for an order regarding the services that are necessary to be performed on a patient who is in a State or federal prison and who cannot travel to a dental office to 180 days of the order's issuance (rather than 45 days of the order's issuance). Removes language providing that provisions concerning public health dentistry are inoperative on and after January 1, 2026. Effective immediately.