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1 | AN ACT concerning insurance.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance Premium Assistance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Fund Act. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | "Division of Insurance" means the Division of Insurance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | within the Department of Financial and Professional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Regulation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | "Low-income area" means an area or neighborhood where a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | majority of residents are at or below 300% of the federal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | poverty level. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Section 10. Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | Premium Assistance Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | (a) The moneys in the Medical Malpractice Liability | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Insurance Premium Assistance Fund, which is created as a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | special find in the State treasury, shall be used by the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Division of Insurance to provides assistance for the payment of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | medical malpractice liability insurance premiums to physicians | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | in the State who maintain their practice in low-income areas. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | (b) The Division of Insurance must: |
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1 | (1) develop and make available application forms for | ||||||
2 | assistance under this Act; | ||||||
3 | (2) develop and enter into contracts with physicians as | ||||||
4 | provided in this Act;
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5 | (3) administer the Fund; and | ||||||
6 | (4) exercise all powers necessary to implement this | ||||||
7 | Act, including adopting rules.
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8 | (c) Any physician who is licensed and practicing in a | ||||||
9 | low-income area in this State may apply to the Division of | ||||||
10 | Insurance for assistance in paying a portion of the physician's | ||||||
11 | medical malpractice insurance premiums as provided in this Act. | ||||||
12 | Upon approval of the application for assistance, the physician | ||||||
13 | shall enter into a contract with the State, wherein the | ||||||
14 | physician shall agree to do all of the following: | ||||||
15 | (1) practice in the low-income area for the entire | ||||||
16 | period of the contract for which malpractice insurance | ||||||
17 | premium assistance is to be provided under this Act; | ||||||
18 | (2) provide medical care for the entire period of the | ||||||
19 | contract to Illinois residents; | ||||||
20 | (3) submit documentation to establish that the | ||||||
21 | physician has complied with the terms of the contract and | ||||||
22 | to determine the amount of assistance to be provided; and
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23 | (4) repay all funds distributed to the physician | ||||||
24 | pursuant to this Act, together with attorney fees and costs | ||||||
25 | incurred in collection, for any contract period in which | ||||||
26 | the physician is in breach of the contract. |
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1 | (d) At the times specified in the contract, but in no event | ||||||
2 | less than once per year, the physician must submit | ||||||
3 | documentation to the Division of Insurance showing compliance | ||||||
4 | with the terms of the contract. The Division of Insurance must | ||||||
5 | examine the documentation provided by the physician and | ||||||
6 | calculate the amount of assistance if any to be provided. The | ||||||
7 | amount of assistance to be provided shall be calculated by: | ||||||
8 | (1) determining the amount of medical malpractice | ||||||
9 | insurance premiums paid by the physician;
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10 | (2) determining the percentage of the physician's | ||||||
11 | practice dedicated to providing the care to persons at or | ||||||
12 | below 300% of the federal poverty level. This determination | ||||||
13 | shall be based upon the dollar amount of billings made;
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14 | (3) multiplying the percentage determined under | ||||||
15 | paragraph (2) of this subsection by the amount determined | ||||||
16 | under paragraph (1) of this subsection; and
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17 | (4) multiplying the product obtained in paragraph (3) | ||||||
18 | of this subsection by 50%.
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19 | (e) If funding available from the account is insufficient | ||||||
20 | to pay assistance for all physicians who apply for assistance | ||||||
21 | under this Act, the Division of Insurance may, at its | ||||||
22 | discretion, reduce the payments to pay each eligible physician | ||||||
23 | a pro rata amount in a manner designed to maximize the number | ||||||
24 | of physicians who may receive assistance under this Act.
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25 | (f) In addition to any other civil or criminal penalties | ||||||
26 | that may be imposed by law, any physician who fails or refuses |
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1 | to fulfill the terms of the contract required under subsection | ||||||
2 | (c) of this Section is in breach of the contract. The Division | ||||||
3 | of Insurance may obtain the assistance of the Attorney General | ||||||
4 | to recoup the amount of assistance provided under the contract | ||||||
5 | together with attorney fees and other costs of collection.
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6 | (g) The payment amounts and the name of a physician | ||||||
7 | receiving payments under this Act are a public record. Any | ||||||
8 | other information used by the Division of Insurance in | ||||||
9 | determining the amount of payment to physicians, including all | ||||||
10 | information submitted to the Division of Insurance by a | ||||||
11 | physician under this Act, that is not already a matter of | ||||||
12 | public record is confidential and is not a public record under | ||||||
13 | the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
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14 | Section 15. The State Finance Act is amended by adding | ||||||
15 | Section 5.675 as follows: | ||||||
16 | (30 ILCS 105/5.675 new) | ||||||
17 | Sec. 5.675. The Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance | ||||||
18 | Premium Assistance Fund.
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