IAFP Legislative Tracking

IAFP prepares for a range of advocacy issues in each legislative session, from scope of practice to tobacco cessation. Click here for an overview of this IAFP advocacy, and see below for legislative and regulatory initiatives being tracked.

Priority Legislative & Administrative Actions Tracked by IAFP

Support

Creates the Family Care Plans for Infants and Families Act:

Note: review amendment considerations regarding administrative burdens; see national policy regarding eliminating hurdles to substance abuse counseling

Support

Amends the Smoke Free Illinois Act. Defines "electronic smoking device". Changes the definition of "retail tobacco store" to include references to "electronic smoking devices". Provides that "smoke" or "smoking" includes the use of an electronic smoking device.

Note: see also Senate Bill 1561 (Sen. Julie Morrison); click here for coalition support position paper

Support

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to adopt policies and rates for long-acting reversible contraception by January 1, 2024 to ensure that reimbursement is not less than actual acquisition cost. Requires the Department to submit any necessary application to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the purposes of implementing such policies and rates. Effective immediately.

Note: see also Senate Bill 1724 (Sen. Paul Feraci); IAFP Statement on Reproductive Health (August 2022)

Oppose

Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires health care professionals who have continuing education requirements to complete cultural competency training, which shall include information on sensitivity relating to and best practices for providing affirming care to people in the person's preferred language, people with disabilities, documented or undocumented immigrants, people who are intersex, people living with HIV, and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Provides that for every license or registration renewal occurring on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a health care professional who has continuing education requirements must complete at least 5 hours in cultural competency training. Provides that for every license or registration renewal occurring on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, a person licensed or registered by the Department under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 and who has continuing education requirements must complete at least 10 hours in cultural competency training. Provides that these continuing education hours may count toward meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education. Provides for rulemaking. Effective January 1, 2024.

Support

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Ratifies and approves the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows for the issuance of multistate licenses that allow nurses to practice in their home state and other compact states. Provides that the Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Provides that the State may not share with or disclose to the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators or any other state any of the contents of a nationwide criminal history records check conducted for the purpose of multistate licensure under the Nurse Licensure Compact.

Under Review

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Removes a provision providing that the scope of practice of an advanced practice registered nurse with full practice authority includes prescribing benzodiazepines or Schedule II narcotic drugs.

Note: review APRN authorization for benzo and schedule II scripts without physician consultation

Oppose

Amends the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987:

Note: opposition coordinated with Illinois State Medical Society, see ISMS opposition position paper

Review

Amends the School Code. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall adopt a rule requiring informational material about testicular cancer to be provided as part of the health examination of any male child entering the ninth grade. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall develop the content of the informational material to be provided. Effective immediately.

Note: review administrative burden impact and ICAAP opposition

Support

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code and the Health Maintenance Organization Act:

Oppose

Amends the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act:

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code:

Effective immediately.

Oppose

Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Provides that the written collaborative agreement between a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches and an advanced practice registered nurse shall be for services for which the collaborating physician can provide adequate collaboration (rather than for services in the same area of practice or specialty as the collaborating physician in his or her clinical medical practice).

Under Review

Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act. Provides that before pursuing a collection action against an insured patient for the unpaid amount of services rendered, a health care provider must review a patient's file to ensure that the patient does not have a Medicare supplement policy or any other secondary payer health insurance plan. Provides that if, after reviewing a patient's file, the health care provider finds no supplemental policy in the patient's record, the provider must then provide notice to the patient and give that patient an opportunity to address the issue. Provides that if a health care provider has neither found information indicating the existence of a supplemental policy nor received payment for services rendered to the patient, the health care provider may proceed with a collection action against the patient in accordance with specified provisions. Defines "supplemental policy". Makes a conforming change.

Note: review impact on administrative practices, and difference in current billing practices

Support

Amends the Rebuild Illinois Mental Health Workforce Act:

Note: support community mental health service medicaid rate increase

Support

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code:

Amends the Hospital Provider Funding Article of the Code:

Note: coordinate with Illinois State Medical Society initiative regarding clean claim legislation

Recent History of Administrative Actions & Legislative Initiatives

Comprehensive Healthcare Reform

(Public Act 102-4)

Support

Creates comprehensive additions and changes to healthcare related statutes with numerous areas of focus, including:


Comment: contains part of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus 2020-21 healthcare package, see IAFP's full bill review; amendments were monitored regarding implicit bias, hospital closings, behavioral health workforce, consistency with the Synchronicity Report showcasing the Mental Health Collaborative Care Model, FQHC promotion to include family physicians, and dementia training for non-physicians

Prior Authorization Reform

(Public Act 102-409)

Support

Prior authorization reform legislation, as introduced, seeks to accomplish the following:

Comment: legislative activity to be coordinated with the Illinois State Medical Society; click here for Your Care Can't Wait coalition information; click here for the 2020 IAFP position statement, click here for the 2020 coalition position statement, and click here for AAFP Guidance; see companion SB158 & SB177; refiling of HB5510 & SB3822 from 101st GA (note: 2020 positions statements to be converted to 2021 references)

Telehealth Legislation

(Public Act 102-104)

Support

In 2021, the Illinois legislature codified some aspects of the Governor's 2020 telehealth executive order. While Public Act 102-104 recognizes telehealth as a modality for delivering otherwise in-person healthcare services, there will still be more work necessary to (1) justify telehealth costs for those seeking payment parity from private carriers and (2) preserve Medicaid telehealth payment parity beyond the current pandemic related administrative rules. More specifically, the legislation, effective July 22, 2021:

Healthcare Affordability & Feasability Study

(Public Act 101-649)

Support

"The Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the Department of Insurance, shall oversee a feasibility study to explore options to make health insurance more affordable for low-income and middle-income residents. The study shall include policies targeted at increasing health care affordability and access, including policies being discussed in other states and nationally. The study shall follow the best practices of other states and include an Illinois-specific actuarial and economic analysis of demographic and market dynamics."

Comment: click here for IAFP's feasibility study submission and click here for DHFS-IDOI response

Underserved Physician Workforce Act

(Public Act 101-118)

Support

Creates the Act to the Underserved Physician Workforce Act. Provides that the Act applies to primary care physicians, general surgeons, emergency medicine physicians, or obstetricians (rather than primary care physicians and other eligible primary care providers). Defines "primary care physician". Makes conforming and other changes, including amending the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, Nurses in Advancement Law, Private Medical Scholarship Agreement Act, and Illinois Public Aid Code.

Comment: click here for related information regarding Illinois Family Medicine Residency Programs; click here for IAFP's administrative rules submission.