Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a municipality may enter into contractual agreements with a company that offers telehealth services or text-a-physician services or other text-based health care services. Defines "physician", "telehealth", and "text-based health care services". Effective January 1, 2027.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Removes language providing that provisions concerning reimbursement for certain telehealth services are inoperative on and after January 1, 2028.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall provide coverage under the medical assistance program for intensive outpatient services delivered via telehealth when the services: (1) are otherwise covered when provided in person; (2) are medically necessary; (3) are delivered by a provider enrolled in the medical assistance program and acting within the scope of the provider's license, certification, or authorization under State law; and (4) comply with all applicable federal and State telehealth requirements. Provides that intensive outpatient services provided via telehealth shall be subject to the same coverage requirements, utilization management, and reimbursement methodologies as intensive outpatient services provided in person. Sets forth standards for telehealth delivery of intensive outpatient services. Provides that implementation of the provisions is subject to any required federal approval. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Contains findings. Requires each health carrier to annually submit completed templates with both plan-level and carrier-level data to the Director of Insurance in the form, manner, and time prescribed by the Director by no later than July 1 of each year for data from the previous calendar year. Provides that data must be sufficient to support independent technical evaluation and to enable meaningful public understanding of access to and coverage for each facility type and specified professional provider type. Requires each health carrier to report, disaggregated by facility type, professional provider type, youth, adult, in-person, and telehealth, the specified data elements. Requires the Director to post, in an easily accessible, consumer-friendly manner, on a public website, all underlying data and data files reported no later than 3 months after receipt. Sets forth provisions concerning certification of health carriers and administration and enforcement of the provisions. Provides that the data submission requirements apply to health benefit plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027. Effective immediately.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall provide coverage under the medical assistance program for intensive outpatient services delivered via telehealth when the services: (1) are otherwise covered when provided in person; (2) are medically necessary; (3) are delivered by a provider enrolled in the medical assistance program and acting within the scope of the provider's license, certification, or authorization under State law; and (4) comply with all applicable federal and State telehealth requirements. Provides that intensive outpatient services provided via telehealth shall be subject to the same coverage requirements, utilization management, and reimbursement methodologies as intensive outpatient services provided in person. Sets forth standards for telehealth delivery of intensive outpatient services. Provides that implementation of the provisions is subject to any required federal approval. Effective immediately.
Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that a facility or health care professional that offers telehealth services shall not bill or charge a person, group or individual policy of accident and health insurance, or managed care plan for any services or care not rendered during a telehealth visit, including, but not limited to, exams that are not possible to perform on a patient at a remote location. Provides that a violation of the provision is an unlawful practice within the meaning of the Act.
Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Provides that every hospital must advertise what services it provides. Provides that every hospital providing telehealth services must specify that those services are provided via telehealth. Provides that every hospital must make clearly available on its website information about what services it provides and what services are provided via telehealth.
Amends the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act. Removes a prohibition against performance of a physical examination by a health care professional under the Act by remote means, including telemedicine.
Amends the Telehealth Act. Adds acupuncturist to providers included in the meaning of "health care professional". Amends the Acupuncture Practice Act. Provides that the standard of care for a patient under the Act shall be the same whether a patient is seen in person, through telemedicine, or through another method of electronically-enabled health care. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, by rule, to determine the appropriate acupuncture services allowed via telemedicine in consultation with the Board of Acupuncture. Provides that a person who engages in the practice of telemedicine without a license issued under the Act shall be subject to the penalties provided in the Act. Provides that, if the Department has reason to believe that a person has violated the provisions regarding telemedicine, the Department may issue a rule to show cause stating the reasons why an order to cease and desist should not be entered against the person. Provides that the rule shall clearly set forth the grounds relied upon by the Department and shall provide the person with a period of 7 days after the date of the rule to file an answer to the satisfaction of the Department. Provides that failure to answer to the satisfaction of the Department shall cause an order to cease and desist to be issued immediately. Provides that a person residing out-of-state that provides services through telemedicine to a patient residing in the State submits himself or herself to the jurisdiction of the Department and the courts of the State.
Amends the Illinois Physical Therapy Act. Provides that initial physical therapy evaluations without a referral or an established diagnosis may be performed by a licensed physical therapist via telehealth when the physical therapist determines that an in-person examination is not required based on the physical therapist's clinical judgment and the applicable standard of care (rather than cannot be performed via telehealth unless necessary to address a documented hardship). Provides that a physical therapist or a licensed physical therapy assistant may require the patient to undergo an in-person visit instead of providing telehealth services (rather than the use of telehealth as a primary means of delivering physical therapy must be an exception and documentation must support the clinical justification). Provides that a physical therapist providing telehealth must have the capacity to provide or be able to facilitate a referral to in-person care within the State (rather than must only have the capacity to provide in-person care). Provides that the standard of care for a patient receiving physical therapy through telehealth is equal to the standard of care for in-person care.
