Healthcare (Public Health)

Makes appropriations for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Department of Public Health for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, as follows: General Funds $286,257,200; Other State Funds $364,858,708; Federal Funds $733,950,369; Total $1,385,066,277.

Amends Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. In provisions regarding a Safety-Net Hospital Health Equity and Access Leadership (HEAL) Grant Program, changes references to safety-net hospitals to references to community safety-net hospitals. Updates references to dates in those provisions. Defines "community safety-net hospital", "health system", and "medically underserved area". Makes changes to required provisions in the report to the General Assembly regarding criteria for a community safety-net hospital to be eligible for the program, deletes required provisions in the report to the General Assembly regarding potential projects eligible for grant funds, and adds required provisions in the report to the General Assembly regarding an application process and criteria, as well as policies, standards, and procedures to administer the program and ensure accountability.

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.

Creates the Neurodegenerative Disease Patient Protection and Progress Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to convene a Neurodegenerative Disease Advisory Council within the Department. Sets forth provisions concerning the membership of the Advisory Council, terms of the members, meetings of the Advisory Council, and administrative support, and duties of the Advisory Council Provides that the Director of Public Health shall designate or hire a full-time Neurodegenerative Disease Coordinator within the Department to implement and administer the Act. Requires the Coordinator, acting through and under the supervision of the Director, and with input from the Advisory Council, to develop and publish a State plan to address neurodegenerative diseases. Sets forth required components of the Plan. Establishes a voluntary statewide clinical and population registry to collect de-identified information and, with the patient's informed consent, limited identifying information, to (i) improve understanding of burden imposed by neurodegenerative diseases, natural history, and outcomes, (ii) facilitate public health planning and service delivery, and (iii) support research consistent with applicable privacy protections. Establishes the Neurodegenerative Disease Research Support And Grant Fund to make grants to public or private not-for-profit entities for the purpose of conducting neurodegenerative disease research. Sets forth provisions concerning equity and rural access; coordination with federal programs, academic centers, and private partners; reporting; limitations; and rulemaking. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Replaces reporting requirement provisions for the Department of Public Health concerning nurse surveyors. Provides that, in addition to the listed information, the Department's annual report on all survey activity from the preceding fiscal year shall include: (i) the total number of authorized nursing home surveyor positions within the Department, (ii) the total number of filled and vacant nursing home surveyor positions, (iii) the average length of tenure for nursing home surveyors employed by the Department at the time the report is created, and (iv) any additional information the Department deems relevant regarding nursing home surveyor recruitment, retention, or workload.

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Requires each facility to notify the appropriate regional office of the Department of Public Health within 24 hours, or by the end of the next business day, after each reportable incident or accident. Requires the facility to send a narrative summary of each reportable incident or accident to the Department within 5 days after the incident or accident.

Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Defines "covered facility" as any long-term care facility, assisted living establishment or shared housing establishment, supportive living facility, ID/DD facility, MC/DD facility, community living facility, community-integrated living arrangement, or Alzheimer's disease management center alternative health care model licensed under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall establish rules requiring a covered facility to notify a resident or the resident's power of attorney or representative whenever the covered facility determines that a vaccination recommended by the Department cannot be administered to the resident within the time frame established by the Department.

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall issue an annual Freestanding Emergency Center license to a facility if the facility complies with specified requirements, except that: (i) the Freestanding Emergency Center may be located in a municipality with a population greater than 50,000 inhabitants and (ii) the Freestanding Emergency Center may, if operated as provider-based under specified federal regulations, describe itself or hold itself out to the general public as a hospital emergency department in its advertising and marketing activities.

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.

Creates the Illinois Menopause Equity and Care Act. Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law. Requires the Department of Public Health to create educational materials regarding menopause, including symptoms, treatment options, and patient rights for distribution to the public online. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that on or after January 1, 2028, all individual and group health insurance policies issued, renewed, or amended must provide coverage for medically necessary evaluation and treatment of perimenopause and menopause as determined by a licensed health care provider using evidence-based guidelines. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides if a licensee treats or evaluates patients suffering from menopause-related conditions, 5 hours of the required 50 hours must include continuing education on menopause care, including management of symptoms, hormonal and non-hormonal therapies, and bone health. Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Defines "menopause-related condition" includes perimenopause, menopause, and associated medical or symptomatic conditions, including, but not limited to, vasomotor symptoms, sleep disruption, cognitive or mood changes, and osteoporosis-related changes. Provides that it is a civil rights violation to unlawfully discriminate because of a menopause-related condition or fail or refuse to provide reasonable accommodations.