(305 ILCS 5/5A-7) (from Ch. 23, par. 5A-7)

Sec. 5A-7. Administration; enforcement provisions.

(a) The Illinois Department shall establish and maintain a listing of all hospital providers appearing in the licensing records of the Illinois Department of Public Health, which shall show each provider's name and principal place of business and the name and address of each hospital operated, conducted, or maintained by the provider in this State. The Illinois Department shall administer and enforce this Article and collect the assessments and penalty assessments imposed under this Article using procedures employed in its administration of this Code generally. The Illinois Department, its Director, and every hospital provider subject to assessment under this Article shall have the following powers, duties, and rights:

(1) The Illinois Department may initiate either administrative or judicial proceedings, or both, to enforce provisions of this Article. Administrative enforcement proceedings initiated hereunder shall be governed by the Illinois Department's administrative rules. Judicial enforcement proceedings initiated hereunder shall be governed by the rules of procedure applicable in the courts of this State.

(2) No proceedings for collection, refund, credit, or other adjustment of an assessment amount shall be issued more than 3 years after the due date of the assessment, except in the case of an extended period agreed to in writing by the Illinois Department and the hospital provider before the expiration of this limitation period.

(3) Any unpaid assessment under this Article shall become a lien upon the assets of the hospital upon which it was assessed. If any hospital provider, outside the usual course of its business, sells or transfers the major part of any one or more of (A) the real property and improvements, (B) the machinery and equipment, or (C) the furniture or fixtures, of any hospital that is subject to the provisions of this Article, the seller or transferor shall pay the Illinois Department the amount of any assessment, assessment penalty, and interest (if any) due from it under this Article up to the date of the sale or transfer. If the seller or transferor fails to pay any assessment, assessment penalty, and interest (if any) due, the purchaser or transferee of such asset shall be liable for the amount of the assessment, penalties, and interest (if any) up to the amount of the reasonable value of the property acquired by the purchaser or transferee. The purchaser or transferee shall continue to be liable until the purchaser or transferee pays the full amount of the assessment, penalties, and interest (if any) up to the amount of the reasonable value of the property acquired by the purchaser or transferee or until the purchaser or transferee receives from the Illinois Department a certificate showing that such assessment, penalty, and interest have been paid or a certificate from the Illinois Department showing that no assessment, penalty, or interest is due from the seller or transferor under this Article.

(4) Payments under this Article are not subject to the Illinois Prompt Payment Act. Credits or refunds shall not bear interest.

(b) In addition to any other remedy provided for and without sending a notice of assessment liability, the Illinois Department may collect an unpaid assessment by withholding, as payment of the assessment, reimbursements or other amounts otherwise payable by the Illinois Department to the hospital provider.

(Source: P.A. 93-659, eff. 2-3-04; 93-841, eff. 7-30-04; 94-242, eff. 7-18-05.)