Urges the federal government to allocate more funding toward finding a cure for Lyme disease. Encourages the Illinois State Board of Education to begin health education to prevent tick bites for children who represent the highest risk group for tick-borne diseases. Declares the month of May 2026 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the State of Illinois.
Creates the Preventing Crisis Cost Shifting to Medicaid Act. Provides that the General Assembly finds that (i) behavioral health crisis services, including crisis call centers, mobile crisis response, and crisis stabilization and receiving services, function as essential public health infrastructure and must be available statewide without regard to insurance status; and (ii) commercial health insurance policies issued or administered in the State generally do not provide comprehensive coverage for the full continuum of behavioral health crisis services, resulting in the cost of such services being disproportionately borne by Medicaid, local governments, and taxpayers. Requires specified entities (surcharge payors) that are authorized to issue or administer a policy or contract of accident and health insurance or a health maintenance organization contract in the State to pay a behavioral health crisis assessment to the Department of Human Services for deposit into the Statewide 9-8-8 Trust Fund. Exempts Medicaid managed care organizations from paying the behavioral health crisis assessment. Permits the Department to update the total behavioral health crisis assessment amount as necessary to ensure the continued availability, quality, or geographic equity of the statewide behavioral health crisis system. Requires the Department to establish an appropriate mechanism for enforcing a surcharge payor's liability, which may include accrued interest on unpaid liabilities at a rate not to exceed 18% per annum and late fees or penalties at a rate not to exceed 5% per month. Provides that the enforcement mechanism may also include notification to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to offset payments on the surcharge payor's claims. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall not direct the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to offset claims payments unless the surcharge payor has maintained an outstanding liability to the Statewide 9-8-8 Trust Fund for a period longer than 45 days and has received proper notice of pending enforcement.
Amends the Hospital Services Trust Fund Article in the Illinois Public Aid Code. In provisions concerning annual funding for the health care transformation program, provides that funds that had been budgeted but unexpended in State fiscal years 2021 through 2027 may be allocated in State fiscal year 2028 in an amount not to exceed $150,000,000.
Amends the Medicaid Technical Assistance Act. Requires the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center to collaborate with public and private partners throughout the State to identify, establish, and maintain best practices necessary for health providers to ensure their capacity to participate in the Illinois Medical Assistance Program (rather than ensure their capacity to participate in HealthChoice Illinois or YouthCare). Requires the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center to promote equitable delivery systems, remaining committed to the principle that all Medicaid recipients have accessible and equitable physical and mental health care services. Removes provisions concerning the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center's administration of network adequacy reports, and instead requires the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center to administer a network recruitment plan. Provides that by using reports and data provided by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ External Quality Review Organization on network adequacy, provider service deserts, and health care disparities by race and ethnicity, the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center shall propose for Department review and approval an annual plan for recruiting providers to participate in the Illinois Medical Assistance Program and report on outcomes of its recruitment efforts to the Department for continuous improvement. Repeals a provision requiring the Department to maximize federal financial participation for any moneys appropriated to the Department for the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center and to deposit all federal financial participation funds into the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund. Repeals a provision creating the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund. Amends the State Finance Act. Provides for the dissolution of the Medicaid Technical Assistance Center Fund on July 1, 2026, or as soon thereafter as practical, after the transfer of all remaining funds into the Healthcare Provider Relief Fund. Effective July 1, 2026.
Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Provides that, if a pharmacy is unable to fill an initial prescription received electronically because the prescribed drug is not in stock, the dispenser must immediately contact the patient to notify the patient of the situation and ask if the patient would like the prescription transferred electronically to a pharmacy of the patient's choosing, consistent with federal regulations concerning the prescribing of controlled substances. Provides that the prescriber shall not be required to issue prescriptions electronically if the prescriptions need to be filled outside of typical retail pharmacy operating hours or may be difficult to obtain because of drug shortages or pharmacy inventory limitations. Amends the Pharmacy Practice Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.
Creates the Food Reform to Ensure Student Health Act. Requires each school district in the State to begin to eliminate ultraprocessed foods of concern and restricted school foods by July 1, 2029. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2032, a vendor may not offer to a school either an ultraprocessed food of concern or a restricted school food. Requires food vendors to report to the Department of Public Health certain information about ultraprocessed foods of concern and restricted school foods that they have sold to schools. Requires the Department, in consultation with the State Board of Education, to submit to the General Assembly and Governor annual summary reports of the data submitted to it by food vendors. Directs the Department to post these reports on its website. Requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules establishing definitions of the terms "ultraprocessed foods of concern" and "restricted school foods" for purposes of these requirements. Requires the Department to review those rules and, if needed, update them every 5 years. Requires the Department to consult with the State Board of Education and to provide compliance training for school food service and procurement staff. Describes the topics to be covered by the Department in the training. Provides for the repeal of the Act on January 1, 2034. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.
Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that notwithstanding any other law or rule to the contrary, a State-operated developmental center funded, certified, or licensed by the Department of Human Services shall readmit, upon request, any former resident who transferred to and currently receives services at a licensed community-integrated living arrangement, if the former resident consents or if the former resident has a guardian with placement authority and that guardian consents based on a determination that the former resident's medical needs cannot be met by the program of services administered by the community-integrated living arrangement. Effective immediately.
Creates the Limitations on Facility Fees Act. Provides that no health care provider shall charge, bill, or collect a facility fee, except for: (i) services provided on a hospital's campus; (ii) services provided at a facility that includes a licensed hospital emergency department; or (iii) emergency services provided at a freestanding emergency center. Provides that, except as specified, no health care provider shall charge, bill, or collect a facility fee for: (i) outpatient evaluation and management services; or (ii) any other outpatient, diagnostic, or imaging services identified by the Department of Public Health. Requires the Department to annually identify services subject to the limitations on specified facility fees that may reliably be provided safely and effectively in settings other than hospitals. Sets forth provisions concerning reporting, rulemaking, and enforcement of the Act. Amends the Fair Patient Billing Act to make a conforming change. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that any person who violates the Limitations on Facility Fees Act commits an unlawful practice.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes provisions requiring the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to: (i) establish benchmarks for hospitals to measure and align payments to reduce potentially preventable hospital readmissions, inpatient complications, and unnecessary emergency room visits; (ii) publish provider-specific historical readmission data and anticipated potentially preventable targets 60 days prior to the start of the program; and (iii) adopt policies and rates of reimbursement for readmission services and other payments.
Amends the Developmental Disability and Mental Disability Services Act. Provides that in one's "own home" means that an adult with a mental disability lives alone; or that an adult with a mental disability is in full-time residence with his or her parents, legal guardian, or other relatives; or that an adult with a mental disability is in full-time residence in a setting not subject to licensure under the Nursing Home Care Act, the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, the ID/DD Community Care Act, the MC/DD Act, or the Child Care Act of 1969 with 5 (rather than 3) or fewer other adults unrelated to the adult with a mental disability who do not provide home-based services to the adult with a mental disability.
