Healthcare

Appropriates $300,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Public Health for grants to the Les Turner ALS Foundation for research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Provides that the Department of Insurance shall consider establishing ratios for providers of genetic medicine and genetic counseling.

Appropriates $10,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Public Health for local health protection grants for health protection programs. Effective July 1, 2025.

Creates the Protective Medical Equipment Freedom Act. Provides that every individual has the right to wear protective medical equipment in any place of public accommodation where they have a lawful right to be without obligation to disclose health status or any other protected information, and no person, entity, or authority shall deny, restrict, or infringe upon this right. Operators and public officials shall not discriminate against or penalize medical device wearers for exercising their right to wear protective medical equipment. Discrimination under this Act includes, but is not limited to: denial of service; eviction from premises; any form of harassment to remove or refrain from wearing such equipment for any amount of time; and specified actions taken by employers. Sets forth provisions concerning protection against retaliation; exceptions for security requirements and operational safety; enforcement by the Attorney General; and penalties for violating the Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Hospital Price Transparency Act. Provides that a hospital shall publish specified information regarding standard charges on its publicly accessible Internet website and provide hard copies upon request. Requires a hospital to maintain a list of all standard charges for all hospital items or services in accordance with the Act and ensure that the list is always available to the public, including publishing the list electronically in the specified manner. Provides that the list shall include a description of each hospital item or service provided by the hospital; specified charges for each individual hospital item or service when provided in either an inpatient setting or an outpatient department setting, as applicable; and a code used by the hospital for the purpose of accounting or billing for the hospital item or service, including the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code, the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code, the Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) code, the National Drug Code (NDC), or other common identifiers. Requires a hospital to maintain and make publicly available a list of the standard charges for each of at least 300 shoppable services provided by the hospital with charges specific to that individual hospital location, except as specified in the Act. Sets forth provisions concerning duties of hospitals and the Department of Public Health relating to lists of all standard and shoppable charges; reporting requirements for hospitals; submission of complaints for violations of the Act; plans of correction for violations of the Act; sanctions and penalties; disclosure of facility fees; reporting requirements for the Department; and restrictions on hospitals initiating or pursuing a collection action if they are in violation of the Act. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes a provision that requires the termination of medical assistance for childless adults who do not otherwise qualify for assistance if Illinois' federal medical assistance percentage for such persons is reduced below 90%. Effective immediately.

Appropriates $6,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department on Aging for distribution to Area Agencies on Aging for services provided under the Family Caregiver Act. Effective July 1, 2025.

Amends the School Code. Requires each school district that offers one or more courses in health education to pupils in middle school or high school to include in those courses instruction in mental health. Sets forth the required instruction topics and materials. Provides that a pupil receiving instruction under in mental health shall not be required to disclose the pupil's confidential health or mental health information at any time in the course of receiving the instruction.

Provides that, if and only if House Bill 4907 of the 103rd General Assembly becomes law, then the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by adding new provisions concerning PDPM Strive staffing ratio calculations for nursing facilities. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, the staffing percentage used in the calculation of the per diem staffing add-on shall be its PDPM STRIVE Staffing Ratio. Sets forth how to calculate a nursing facility's PDPM STRIVE Staffing Ratio, PDPM STRIVE Staffing Target, Illinois Adjusted Facility Case-Mix Hours Per Resident Per Day, and STRIVE staffing fee schedule. Effective immediately or on the date House Bill 4907 of the 103rd General Assembly takes effect, whichever is later.

Amends the Acupuncture Practice Act. Provides that "acupuncture" also includes ordering laboratory tests in accordance with State law to check, track, evaluate, and monitor the status and effectiveness of pain management, herbal medicinal plans, dietary and exercise plans, and orders as may be provided to the patient from a physician licensed under the Medical Practice Act. Removes the provision that states that an acupuncturist licensed under the Act who is not also licensed as a physical therapist under the Illinois Physical Therapy Act shall not hold himself or herself out as being qualified to provide physical therapy or physiotherapy services.