HR0503 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0503 LRB095 12387 KBJ 37345 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In 1994, an innovative Illinois General Assembly approved the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act, which allowed for the licensing and studying of Alternative Health Care delivery systems; and

WHEREAS, Post Surgical Recovery Care Facilities were established as demonstration programs under this Act; and

WHEREAS, the original intention was to evaluate and make recommendations regarding these programs and the goal of the Act was to look at alternative delivery programs that could contain costs for the consumer and the State, increase public access to health care, and increase the quality of health care being delivered; and

WHEREAS, Since that time, a large amount of measurable, objective data has been collected on cost, access, health outcomes, length of stay, satisfaction, and safety; data has been collected through quarterly reporting and surveillance to the Department of Public Health and through onsite annual surveys; and

WHEREAS, The original Act stated that the Department would adopt rules for each alternative health care model to include the definition and scope of the program, including the date and period of operation under the Act, which was not to exceed 5 years; and

WHEREAS, Those facilities found by the Department to be in substantial compliance were eligible for annual licensing renewal unless or until a different licensure program for Post Surgical Recovery Care Centers was established by subsequent legislation; and

WHEREAS, 13 years into these demonstration programs, we continue to await review and final reporting of the success of Post Surgical Recovery Care Centers; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Department of Public Health to provide for the reporting and recommendations originally called for in the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That if the Post Surgical Recovery Care Centers are shown to meet the original goals of the Act, that they be given the option to seek licensure as a hospital and to meet such licensure standards as the Department may deem valid; this is necessary because the Recovery Care Centers current licensure status is not recognized outside of the State of Illinois, as such the Centers are not eligible for federal or State reimbursement under the Medicare or Medicaid Programs; also, because they are not certified by Medicare as a provider, they fail to meet the definition of a reimbursable healthcare provider under most commercial insurance policies that require some level or type of Medicare Certification in order to be a covered service; this option would insure the continued survival of those facilities developed under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act who choose to apply for hospital licensure.