Healthcare

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that an advanced practice registered nurse licensed under the Act may administer radiation to a human being and may supervise the administration of radiation by a person accredited to administer radiation to a human being by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security. Amends the Radiation Protection Act of 1990. In provisions concerning the limitations on the application of radiation to human beings, adds advanced practice registered nurses licensed under the Nurse Practice Act to the professionals who may intentionally administer radiation to a human being and to the professionals who may supervise a physician assistant, a technologist, a nurse, or other assistant administering radiation. Makes conforming changes in provisions concerning the accreditation of administrators of radiation.

Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. In provisions concerning an exception to the prohibition on fee splitting for billing, administrative preparation, or collection services, requires any charges for multiple in-network services during the same appointment, including, but not limited to, an office visit that was added to a physical exam, to be disclosed to the patient during the appointment.

Expresses the belief that nursing, social work, professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, audiology, physician assistant practice, public health, and education are professional disciplines that require advanced graduate education, professional licensure, and adherence to rigorous ethical and clinical standards. Lists the graduate degrees that should be considered professional degrees. States that any state agency, public university, or entity receiving state funds should take all necessary steps to avoid discrimination against individuals holding these graduate degrees in hiring, promotion, compensation, professional development funding, or other terms and conditions of employment based on any federal student loan classification. Urges the United States Department of Education to include all graduate degrees in nursing, social work, counseling, therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, audiology, physician assistant practice, public health, and education in its definition of "professional degrees" for federal student loan purposes. Urges the Illinois Congressional Delegation to advocate for legislation to ensure that graduate students in all health and human services professions have access to adequate federal student loan funding to complete their professional education. Commits to exploring state-level solutions to support graduate education in health and human services professions, including but not limited to scholarships, grants, loan repayment assistance programs, and other workforce development initiatives. Expresses support for the licensed health and human services professionals in Illinois who serve our most vulnerable populations with skill, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the public good.

Amends the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act. Provides that a minor who is present at a child advocacy center in the State following disclosure or suspicion of sexual assault shall be eligible to receive a sexual assault services voucher, regardless of the minor's insurance status. Provides that the sexual assault services voucher for a minor may be used for specified circumstances. Allows for rulemaking by the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Human Services. Requires each child advocacy center that issues sexual assault services vouchers to submit an annual report to the Department of Children and Family Services. Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. Provides that whenever psychotropic medication or electroconvulsive therapy is refused under a specified provision at least once that day, the psychiatrist or advanced practice psychiatric nurse (instead of the physician) shall determine and state in writing the reasons why the recipient did not meet the criteria for the administration of medication or electroconvulsive therapy and whether the recipient meets the standard for administration of psychotropic medication or electroconvulsive therapy under a provision concerning the administration of psychotropic medication and electroconvulsive therapy upon application to a court. Provides that a petition requesting that the court authorize treatment with psychotropic medication shall specify the full names of the medications and anticipated range of dosage that comprise such treatment. Provides that no administration of psychotropic medication or electroconvulsive therapy without the informed consent of the recipient may be authorized unless at least one psychiatrist or advanced practice psychiatric nurse who has examined the recipient testifies in person at the hearing. Makes other changes to definitions and provisions concerning administration of psychotropic medication and electroconvulsive therapy upon application to a court.

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 Provider Funding Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2027, if an Illinois freestanding psychiatric hospital reopens a previously closed hospital facility within 4 calendar years of that hospital facility's closure, and the previously closed hospital facility qualified for fee-for-service supplemental payments, then the Illinois freestanding psychiatric hospital shall receive an annual payment equal to $200 per covered inpatient day contained in paid fee-for-service claims and $200 per paid fee-for-service outpatient claim for dates of service of the closed hospital facility in Calendar Year 2019 in the Department of Healthcare and Family Services' Enterprise Data Warehouse as of May 11, 2020. Provides that "closed hospital facility" includes hospitals that have been terminated from participation in the medical assistance program. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning the supportive living facilities program, prohibits a supportive living dementia care setting from limiting a resident's access to the sink, microwave, or refrigerator located within the respective resident's room, provided a comprehensive safety assessment deems the resident's use of the appliances safe. Requires the comprehensive safety assessment to be conducted prior to any resident moving in and at least once per quarter thereafter. Requires social and recreational programming to be provided no less than 3 times daily, including at least one time and location separate from a meal service. Requires newly constructed supportive living dementia care settings to provide no less than 300 square feet for a single occupancy apartment or no less than 450 square feet for a double occupancy apartment, which may include the closets and bathroom. Requires each apartment to include a sink, microwave, and refrigerator within the unit. Provides that any newly constructed supportive living dementia care setting shall provide a common area completely separate from the dining area.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that beginning October 1, 2026, for rate year 2027 and thereafter, the Medicaid inpatient utilization rate, as defined and used in the determination of eligibility for specified inpatient adjustment payments to hospitals, shall be modified to exclude, from both the numerator and denominator, all days reimbursed by the Department of Human Services for mental health services provided under a specified provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 as contracted by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Effective immediately.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adopt rules that require managed care organizations (MCOs) to utilize a universal provider application developed by a council for affordable quality healthcare, as defined, for the purpose of credentialing a health care professional or a health care provider who seeks to participate in an MCO's provider network. Provides that the rules may also require the use of a CAQH application for the renewal of credentials; and that the Department may revise the CAQH universal provider application or the application for renewal of credentials to conform to industry or national standards for credentialing health care professionals or health care providers. Provides that within 180 days after the adoption of rules, health and dental plan carriers must accept the universal provider application and the application for the renewal of credentials approved by the Department. Requires all MCOs to provide a provider network consultant to act as a liaison between a health care provider and the MCO. Require the Department to employ provider enrollment consultants to assist health care providers with enrollment in the Illinois Medicaid Program Advanced Cloud Technology system, help navigate the enrollment and provider credentialing process by serving as the liaison between health care providers and MCOs, and other matters. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. In provisions concerning recoupments, requires a health care professional or health care provider to be provided a remittance advice that includes an explanation of a recoupment or offset taken by a managed care organization. Removes provisions permitting insurers contracted with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to recoup or offset payments due to a federal Medicaid requirement. Provides that no contract between an MCO and health care professional or provider may provide for recoupments in violation of the Code. Effective January 1, 2027.