093_HB1713eng

 
HB1713 Engrossed                     LRB093 04851 MBS 04910 b

 1        AN ACT in relation to health.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section  5.   The  Illinois Rural/Downstate Health Act is
 5    amended by changing Section 2 as follows:

 6        (410 ILCS 65/2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 8052)
 7        Sec. 2. Findings; definition.  The General Assembly finds
 8    that citizens in the rural, downstate and designated shortage
 9    areas of this State are increasingly faced with  problems  in
10    accessing  necessary  health care. The closure of small rural
11    hospitals, the  inability  of  these  areas  to  attract  new
12    physicians,  the  elimination of  existing physician services
13    because of increasing practice costs, including the  cost  of
14    providing  malpractice  insurance, and the lack of systems of
15    emergency medical care  contribute  to  the  access  problems
16    experienced  by these residents. While Illinois is not unique
17    in experiencing these  problems,  the  need  to  maintain  or
18    enhance  the  economies  of these areas of the State requires
19    that  new  and  innovative  strategies  be   identified   and
20    implemented  to respond to the health care needs of residents
21    of these areas. It is therefore the intent  of  this  General
22    Assembly to create a program to respond to this problem.
23        For  purposes  of  this  Act, "designated shortage areas"
24    means medically underserved areas or health manpower shortage
25    area as defined by the United States Department of Health and
26    Human Services or as otherwise  designated  by  the  Illinois
27    Department of Public Health.
28    (Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)