093_SB0587sam001
LRB093 10686 JLS 12255 a
1 AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 587
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend Senate Bill 587 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
4 "Section 5. The Managed Care Reform and Patient Rights
5 Act is amended by changing Section 90 as follows:
6 (215 ILCS 134/90)
7 Sec. 90. Office of Consumer Health Insurance.
8 (a) The Director of Insurance shall establish the Office
9 of Consumer Health Insurance within the Department of
10 Insurance to provide assistance and information to all health
11 care consumers within the State. Within the appropriation
12 allocated, the Office shall provide information and
13 assistance to all health care consumers by:
14 (1) assisting consumers in understanding health
15 insurance marketing materials and the coverage provisions
16 of individual plans;
17 (2) educating enrollees about their rights within
18 individual plans;
19 (3) assisting enrollees with the process of filing
20 formal grievances and appeals;
21 (4) establishing and operating a toll-free "800"
22 telephone number line to handle consumer inquiries;
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1 (5) making related information available in
2 languages other than English that are spoken as a primary
3 language by a significant portion of the State's
4 population, as determined by the Department;
5 (6) analyzing, commenting on, monitoring, and
6 making publicly available reports on the development and
7 implementation of federal, State, and local laws,
8 regulations, and other governmental policies and actions
9 that pertain to the adequacy of health care plans,
10 facilities, and services in the State;
11 (7) filing an annual report with the Governor, the
12 Director, and the General Assembly, which shall contain
13 recommendations for improvement of the regulation of
14 health insurance plans, including recommendations on
15 improving health care consumer assistance and patterns,
16 abuses, and progress that it has identified from its
17 interaction with health care consumers; and
18 (8) performing all duties assigned to the Office by
19 the Director.
20 (b) The report required under subsection (a)(7) shall be
21 filed by January 31, 2001 and by each March 1 January 31
22 thereafter.
23 (c) Nothing in this Section shall be interpreted to
24 authorize access to or disclosure of individual patient or
25 health care professional or provider records.
26 (Source: P.A. 91-617, eff. 1-1-00.)".