|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
1 | AN ACT concerning regulation.
| |||||||||||||||||||
2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| |||||||||||||||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
| |||||||||||||||||||
4 | Section 5. The Medical Practice Act of 1987 is amended by | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | changing Section 49.5 as follows:
| |||||||||||||||||||
6 | (225 ILCS 60/49.5)
| |||||||||||||||||||
7 | (Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2008)
| |||||||||||||||||||
8 | Sec. 49.5. Telemedicine.
| |||||||||||||||||||
9 | (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that because of
| |||||||||||||||||||
10 | technological advances and changing practice patterns the | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | practice of medicine
is occurring with increasing frequency | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | across state lines and that certain
technological advances in | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | the practice of medicine are in the public interest.
The | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | General Assembly further finds and declares that the practice | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | of medicine
is
a privilege and that the licensure by this State | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | of practitioners outside this
State engaging in medical | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | practice within this State and the ability to
discipline those | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | practitioners is necessary for the protection of the public
| |||||||||||||||||||
19 | health,
welfare, and safety.
| |||||||||||||||||||
20 | (b) A person who engages in the practice of telemedicine | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | without
a license issued under this Act shall be subject to | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | penalties
provided in Section 59.
| |||||||||||||||||||
23 | (c) For purposes of this Act, "telemedicine" means the |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | performance of any
of the activities listed in Section 49, | ||||||
2 | including but not limited to rendering
written or oral opinions | ||||||
3 | concerning diagnosis or treatment of a patient in
Illinois by a | ||||||
4 | person located outside the State of Illinois as a result of
| ||||||
5 | transmission of individual patient data by telephonic, | ||||||
6 | electronic, or other
means of communication from within this | ||||||
7 | State. "Telemedicine" does not include
the following:
| ||||||
8 | (1) periodic consultations between a person licensed | ||||||
9 | under this Act and a
person outside the State of Illinois;
| ||||||
10 | (2) a second opinion provided to a person licensed | ||||||
11 | under this Act; and
| ||||||
12 | (3) diagnosis or treatment services provided to a | ||||||
13 | patient in Illinois
following
care or treatment originally | ||||||
14 | provided to the patient in the state in which the
provider | ||||||
15 | is licensed to practice medicine ; or | ||||||
16 | (4) a consultation, with both the referring physician | ||||||
17 | licensed under this Act and the patient whose case is being | ||||||
18 | consulted upon, given by a licensed practitioner outside of | ||||||
19 | this State with whom the referring physician has a | ||||||
20 | professional relationship, evidenced by a letter of | ||||||
21 | agreement, for the purpose of tailoring the medical actions | ||||||
22 | that are taken in regard to the patient accordingly .
| ||||||
23 | (d) Whenever the Department has reason to believe that a | ||||||
24 | person has violated
this Section, the Department may issue a | ||||||
25 | rule to show cause why an order to
cease and desist should not | ||||||
26 | be entered against that person. The rule shall
clearly set |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | forth the grounds relied upon by the Department and shall | ||||||
2 | provide a
period of 7 days from the date of the rule to file an | ||||||
3 | answer to the
satisfaction of the Department. Failure to answer | ||||||
4 | to the satisfaction of the
Department shall cause an order to | ||||||
5 | cease and desist to be issued immediately.
| ||||||
6 | (e) An out-of-state person providing a service listed in | ||||||
7 | Section 49 to a
patient residing in
Illinois through the | ||||||
8 | practice of telemedicine submits himself or herself to the
| ||||||
9 | jurisdiction of the courts of this
State.
| ||||||
10 | (Source: P.A. 90-99, eff. 1-1-98 .)
|