102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB0332

 

Introduced 2/19/2021, by Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
215 ILCS 124/5
215 ILCS 124/25

    Amends the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Provides that a network plan shall make available, through a directory, information about whether a provider offers the use of telehealth or telemedicine to deliver services, what modalities are used and what services via telehealth or telemedicine are provided, and whether the provider has the ability and willingness to include in a telehealth or telemedicine encounter a family caregiver who is in a separate location than the patient if the patient so wishes and provides his or her consent. Defines "family caregiver". Effective immediately.


LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB0332LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Network Adequacy and Transparency Act is
5amended by changing Sections 5 and 25 as follows:
 
6    (215 ILCS 124/5)
7    Sec. 5. Definitions. In this Act:
8    "Authorized representative" means a person to whom a
9beneficiary has given express written consent to represent the
10beneficiary; a person authorized by law to provide substituted
11consent for a beneficiary; or the beneficiary's treating
12provider only when the beneficiary or his or her family member
13is unable to provide consent.
14    "Beneficiary" means an individual, an enrollee, an
15insured, a participant, or any other person entitled to
16reimbursement for covered expenses of or the discounting of
17provider fees for health care services under a program in
18which the beneficiary has an incentive to utilize the services
19of a provider that has entered into an agreement or
20arrangement with an insurer.
21    "Department" means the Department of Insurance.
22    "Director" means the Director of Insurance.
23    "Family caregiver" means a relative, partner, friend, or

 

 

SB0332- 2 -LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1neighbor who has a significant relationship with the patient
2and administers or assists them with activities of daily
3living, instrumental activities of daily living, or other
4medical or nursing tasks for the quality and welfare of that
5patient.
6    "Insurer" means any entity that offers individual or group
7accident and health insurance, including, but not limited to,
8health maintenance organizations, preferred provider
9organizations, exclusive provider organizations, and other
10plan structures requiring network participation, excluding the
11medical assistance program under the Illinois Public Aid Code,
12the State employees group health insurance program, workers
13compensation insurance, and pharmacy benefit managers.
14    "Material change" means a significant reduction in the
15number of providers available in a network plan, including,
16but not limited to, a reduction of 10% or more in a specific
17type of providers, the removal of a major health system that
18causes a network to be significantly different from the
19network when the beneficiary purchased the network plan, or
20any change that would cause the network to no longer satisfy
21the requirements of this Act or the Department's rules for
22network adequacy and transparency.
23    "Network" means the group or groups of preferred providers
24providing services to a network plan.
25    "Network plan" means an individual or group policy of
26accident and health insurance that either requires a covered

 

 

SB0332- 3 -LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1person to use or creates incentives, including financial
2incentives, for a covered person to use providers managed,
3owned, under contract with, or employed by the insurer.
4    "Ongoing course of treatment" means (1) treatment for a
5life-threatening condition, which is a disease or condition
6for which likelihood of death is probable unless the course of
7the disease or condition is interrupted; (2) treatment for a
8serious acute condition, defined as a disease or condition
9requiring complex ongoing care that the covered person is
10currently receiving, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy,
11or post-operative visits; (3) a course of treatment for a
12health condition that a treating provider attests that
13discontinuing care by that provider would worsen the condition
14or interfere with anticipated outcomes; or (4) the third
15trimester of pregnancy through the post-partum period.
16    "Preferred provider" means any provider who has entered,
17either directly or indirectly, into an agreement with an
18employer or risk-bearing entity relating to health care
19services that may be rendered to beneficiaries under a network
20plan.
21    "Providers" means physicians licensed to practice medicine
22in all its branches, other health care professionals,
23hospitals, or other health care institutions that provide
24health care services.
25    "Telehealth" has the meaning given to that term in Section
26356z.22 of the Illinois Insurance Code.

 

 

SB0332- 4 -LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1    "Telemedicine" has the meaning given to that term in
2Section 49.5 of the Medical Practice Act of 1987.
3    "Tiered network" means a network that identifies and
4groups some or all types of provider and facilities into
5specific groups to which different provider reimbursement,
6covered person cost-sharing or provider access requirements,
7or any combination thereof, apply for the same services.
8    "Woman's principal health care provider" means a physician
9licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches
10specializing in obstetrics, gynecology, or family practice.
11(Source: P.A. 100-502, eff. 9-15-17.)
 
12    (215 ILCS 124/25)
13    Sec. 25. Network transparency.
14    (a) A network plan shall post electronically an
15up-to-date, accurate, and complete provider directory for each
16of its network plans, with the information and search
17functions, as described in this Section.
18        (1) In making the directory available electronically,
19    the network plans shall ensure that the general public is
20    able to view all of the current providers for a plan
21    through a clearly identifiable link or tab and without
22    creating or accessing an account or entering a policy or
23    contract number.
24        (2) The network plan shall update the online provider
25    directory at least monthly. Providers shall notify the

 

 

SB0332- 5 -LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1    network plan electronically or in writing of any changes
2    to their information as listed in the provider directory.
3    The network plan shall update its online provider
4    directory in a manner consistent with the information
5    provided by the provider within 10 business days after
6    being notified of the change by the provider. Nothing in
7    this paragraph (2) shall void any contractual relationship
8    between the provider and the plan.
9        (3) The network plan shall audit periodically at least
10    25% of its provider directories for accuracy, make any
11    corrections necessary, and retain documentation of the
12    audit. The network plan shall submit the audit to the
13    Director upon request. As part of these audits, the
14    network plan shall contact any provider in its network
15    that has not submitted a claim to the plan or otherwise
16    communicated his or her intent to continue participation
17    in the plan's network.
18        (4) A network plan shall provide a print copy of a
19    current provider directory or a print copy of the
20    requested directory information upon request of a
21    beneficiary or a prospective beneficiary. Print copies
22    must be updated quarterly and an errata that reflects
23    changes in the provider network must be updated quarterly.
24        (5) For each network plan, a network plan shall
25    include, in plain language in both the electronic and
26    print directory, the following general information:

 

 

SB0332- 6 -LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1            (A) in plain language, a description of the
2        criteria the plan has used to build its provider
3        network;
4            (B) if applicable, in plain language, a
5        description of the criteria the insurer or network
6        plan has used to create tiered networks;
7            (C) if applicable, in plain language, how the
8        network plan designates the different provider tiers
9        or levels in the network and identifies for each
10        specific provider, hospital, or other type of facility
11        in the network which tier each is placed, for example,
12        by name, symbols, or grouping, in order for a
13        beneficiary-covered person or a prospective
14        beneficiary-covered person to be able to identify the
15        provider tier; and
16            (D) if applicable, a notation that authorization
17        or referral may be required to access some providers.
18        (6) A network plan shall make it clear for both its
19    electronic and print directories what provider directory
20    applies to which network plan, such as including the
21    specific name of the network plan as marketed and issued
22    in this State. The network plan shall include in both its
23    electronic and print directories a customer service email
24    address and telephone number or electronic link that
25    beneficiaries or the general public may use to notify the
26    network plan of inaccurate provider directory information

 

 

SB0332- 7 -LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1    and contact information for the Department's Office of
2    Consumer Health Insurance.
3        (7) A provider directory, whether in electronic or
4    print format, shall accommodate the communication needs of
5    individuals with disabilities, and include a link to or
6    information regarding available assistance for persons
7    with limited English proficiency.
8    (b) For each network plan, a network plan shall make
9available through an electronic provider directory the
10following information in a searchable format:
11        (1) for health care professionals:
12            (A) name;
13            (B) gender;
14            (C) participating office locations;
15            (D) specialty, if applicable;
16            (E) medical group affiliations, if applicable;
17            (F) facility affiliations, if applicable;
18            (G) participating facility affiliations, if
19        applicable;
20            (H) languages spoken other than English, if
21        applicable;
22            (I) whether accepting new patients; and
23            (J) board certifications, if applicable; and .
24            (K) use of telehealth or telemedicine, including:
25                (i) whether the provider offers the use of
26            telehealth or telemedicine to deliver services;

 

 

SB0332- 8 -LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1                (ii) what modalities are used and what
2            services via telehealth or telemedicine are
3            provided; and
4                (iii) whether the provider has the ability and
5            willingness to include in a telehealth or
6            telemedicine encounter a family caregiver who is
7            in a separate location than the patient if the
8            patient wishes and provides his or her consent;
9        (2) for hospitals:
10            (A) hospital name;
11            (B) hospital type (such as acute, rehabilitation,
12        children's, or cancer);
13            (C) participating hospital location; and
14            (D) hospital accreditation status; and
15        (3) for facilities, other than hospitals, by type:
16            (A) facility name;
17            (B) facility type;
18            (C) types of services performed; and
19            (D) participating facility location or locations.
20    (c) For the electronic provider directories, for each
21network plan, a network plan shall make available all of the
22following information in addition to the searchable
23information required in this Section:
24        (1) for health care professionals:
25            (A) contact information; and
26            (B) languages spoken other than English by

 

 

SB0332- 9 -LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1        clinical staff, if applicable;
2        (2) for hospitals, telephone number; and
3        (3) for facilities other than hospitals, telephone
4    number.
5    (d) The insurer or network plan shall make available in
6print, upon request, the following provider directory
7information for the applicable network plan:
8        (1) for health care professionals:
9            (A) name;
10            (B) contact information;
11            (C) participating office location or locations;
12            (D) specialty, if applicable;
13            (E) languages spoken other than English, if
14        applicable; and
15            (F) whether accepting new patients; and .
16            (G) use of telehealth or telemedicine, including:
17                (i) whether the provider offers the use of
18            telehealth or telemedicine to deliver services;
19                (ii) what modalities are used and what
20            services via telehealth or telemedicine are
21            provided; and
22                (iii) whether the provider has the ability and
23            willingness to include in a telehealth or
24            telemedicine encounter a family caregiver who is
25            in a separate location than the patient if the
26            patient wishes and provides his or her consent;

 

 

SB0332- 10 -LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1        (2) for hospitals:
2            (A) hospital name;
3            (B) hospital type (such as acute, rehabilitation,
4        children's, or cancer); and
5            (C) participating hospital location and telephone
6        number; and
7        (3) for facilities, other than hospitals, by type:
8            (A) facility name;
9            (B) facility type;
10            (C) types of services performed; and
11            (D) participating facility location or locations
12        and telephone numbers.
13    (e) The network plan shall include a disclosure in the
14print format provider directory that the information included
15in the directory is accurate as of the date of printing and
16that beneficiaries or prospective beneficiaries should consult
17the insurer's electronic provider directory on its website and
18contact the provider. The network plan shall also include a
19telephone number in the print format provider directory for a
20customer service representative where the beneficiary can
21obtain current provider directory information.
22    (f) The Director may conduct periodic audits of the
23accuracy of provider directories. A network plan shall not be
24subject to any fines or penalties for information required in
25this Section that a provider submits that is inaccurate or
26incomplete.

 

 

SB0332- 11 -LRB102 13548 BMS 18895 b

1(Source: P.A. 100-502, eff. 9-15-17; 100-601, eff. 6-29-18.)
 
2    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
3becoming law.