HB6549 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB093 15734 LCB 46424 b

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB6549

Introduced 2/6/2004, by Tom Cross

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

710 ILCS 15/8	from Ch. 10, par. 208
710 ILCS 15/9	from Ch. 10, par. 209

Amends the Health Care Arbitration Act. Makes changes to the process by which a health care arbitration agreement may be cancelled by any signatory. Removes language requiring the re-affirmation of the health care arbitration agreement during the discharge planning process. Provides that no health care arbitration agreement shall be valid after 10 (instead of 2) years from the date of its execution.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning arbitration.

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

Section 5. The Health Care Arbitration Act is amended by changing Sections 8 and 9 as follows:

(710 ILCS 15/8) (from Ch. 10, par. 208)

Sec. 8. Conditions. Every health care arbitration agreement shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a) The agreement is not a condition to the rendering of health care services by any party and the agreement has been executed by the recipient of health care services at the inception of or during the term of provision of services for a specific cause by either a health care provider or a hospital; and

(b) The agreement is a separate instrument complete in itself and not a part of any other contract or instrument; and

(c) The agreement may not limit, impair, or waive any substantive rights or defenses of any party, including the statute of limitations; and

(d) The agreement shall not limit, impair, or waive the procedural rights to be heard, to present material evidence, to cross-examine witnesses, and to be represented by an attorney, or other procedural rights of due process of any party.

(e) As a part of the discharge planning process the patient or, if appropriate, members of his family must be given a copy of the health care arbitration agreement previously executed by or for the patient and shall re-affirm it. Failure to comply with this provision during the discharge planning process shall void the health care arbitration agreement.

(Source: P.A. 80-1012.)

(710 ILCS 15/9) (from Ch. 10, par. 209)

Sec. 9. Mandatory Provisions.

(a) Every health care arbitration agreement shall be clearly captioned "Health Care Arbitration Agreement".

(b) Every health care arbitration agreement in relation to health care services rendered during hospitalization shall specify the date of commencement of hospitalization. Every health care arbitration agreement in relation to health care services not rendered during hospitalization shall state the specific cause for which the services are provided.

(c) Every health care arbitration agreement may be cancelled by any signatory (1) within 60 days of its execution or within 60 days of the date of the patient's discharge from the hospital, or last date of treatment, whichever is later, as to an agreement in relation to health care services rendered during hospitalization, provided, that if executed other than at the time of discharge of the patient from the hospital, the health care arbitration agreement be reaffirmed at the time of the discharge planning process in the same manner as provided for in the execution of the original agreement; or (2) within 60 days of the date of its execution, or the last date of treatment by the health care provider, whichever is later, as to an agreement in relation to health care services not rendered during hospitalization. Provided, that no health care arbitration agreement shall be valid after 10 2 years from the date of its execution. An employee of a hospital or health care provider who is not a signatory to an agreement may cancel such agreement as to himself until 30 days following his notification that he is a party to a dispute or issue on which arbitration has been demanded pursuant to such agreement. If any person executing a health care arbitration agreement dies before the period of cancellation as outlined above, the personal representative of the decedent shall have the right to cancel the health care arbitration agreement within 60 days of the date of his appointment as the legal representative of the decedent's estate. Provided, that if no legal representative is appointed within 6 months of the death of said decedent the next of kin of such decedent shall have the right to cancel the health care arbitration agreement within 8 months from the date of death.

(d) Every health care arbitration agreement shall contain immediately above the signature lines, in upper case type in printed letters of at least 3/16 inch height, a caption and paragraphs as follows:

"AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE HEALTH CARE

NEGLIGENCE CLAIMS

NOTICE TO PATIENT

YOU CANNOT BE REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS AGREEMENT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE TREATMENT. BY SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT, YOUR RIGHT TO TRIAL BY A JURY OR A JUDGE IN A COURT WILL BE BARRED AS TO ANY DISPUTE RELATING TO INJURIES THAT MAY RESULT FROM NEGLIGENCE DURING YOUR TREATMENT OR CARE, AND WILL BE REPLACED BY AN ARBITRATION PROCEDURE.

THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE CANCELLED WITHIN 60 DAYS OF SIGNING OR 60 DAYS AFTER YOUR HOSPITAL DISCHARGE OR 60 DAYS AFTER YOUR LAST HEALTH CARE SERVICE MEDICAL TREATMENT IN RELATION TO HEALTH CARE SERVICES NOT RENDERED DURING HOSPITALIZATION.

THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES THAT ANY CLAIMS WHICH MAY ARISE OUT OF YOUR HEALTH CARE WILL BE SUBMITTED TO A PANEL OF ARBITRATORS, RATHER THAN TO A COURT FOR DETERMINATION. THIS AGREEMENT REQUIRES ALL PARTIES SIGNING IT TO ABIDE BY THE DECISION OF THE ARBITRATION PANEL."

(e) an executed copy of the AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE HEALTH CARE CLAIMS and any reaffirmation of that agreement as required by this Act shall be given to the patient during the time of the discharge planning process or at the time of discharge after last date of treatment.

(Source: P.A. 91-156, eff. 1-1-00.)